"I wanna get dango, Mama," Akaya chirps as she hops beside me, little hand barely able to wrap around my own. Her soft brown locks flip and fly in the breeze and her smile captures me in the most wonderful way.

"Honey, we just ate, and Dada's coming home early tonight so we're eating supper together."

The four year old doesn't yet understand just how important her father's job is and how rare an evening away from the office is anymore. To her, everything is only what's right in front of her, and right now that's the Konoha dango shop. I hoist the young baby boy wrapped across my torso back up and tighten the wrap, swaddling him closer to my chest. He continues to sleep peacefully, not a care in the world. He looks just like Kakashi when he sleeps; when he's awake to--but there's something about his gentle breathing and complete calmness that strikes such a similarity to his father.

"But Kumo got to eat again," Akaya whines, tugging my arm and trying to run off to the dango shop as we walk by it.

"Sakumo is a baby, hun, and he doesn't eat when the rest of us eat."

Akaya just slumps, her big grey eyes lulling as she finally stops tugging, falling into line beside me. As we pass by the pub I used to go to so often with my friends and ANBU teammates--the same one Kakashi walked me home from that first night we ever connected--I notice Lady Tsunade drinking up a storm. Her cheeks are stained a furious red and her head bobs as she demands for more sake, her poor dark-haired companion begrudgingly pouring her another cup. However drunk she may be, retirement seems good for her. She was happy to step down and take to bar hopping once again.

Kakashi, on the other hand... It was nearly impossible to convince him to take the job. Well, he's not officially Hokage yet. Tsunade gives the official title over at a ceremony in front of the whole village in a little over a week. But he's almost completely taken over all the duties, making him Hokage in all but name.

We get home and I'm surprised to see the silver-haired man lying on the couch, flipping mindlessly through channels.

"Home already?" I ask, sliding my sandals off before helping Akaya with hers. The little girl runs immediately to her dad and jumps into his arms. He encompasses her, holding her tightly. I can't help but smile at the sight, warmth rising to my chest.

"Yeah, I've recruited some assistance," he says as he pushes himself up, struggling against the weight of the child on his chest. Finally he makes it to a sitting position, Akaya by his side. "To help with all the paperwork and stuff. Shikamaru agreed to be my right-hand."

"That's good," I say, falling gracefully into a soft armchair. Sakumo continues to sleep peacefully, even when I unwrap him from the swaddle and hand him over to Kakashi. "After Akaya and Mirai's playdate, Akaya and I got our errands done. I picked up your robe for the inauguration ceremony," I add, smiling at the proud little girl who tugs on her father's shirt, eyeing him with those big grey eyes. So similar yet such a contrast of her father. While her father's eyes are lazy and relaxed, especially since the war and losing his sharingan and all, Akaya's are wide and full of life. Still, he smiles at our daughter with eyes gleaming in admiration.

"That's good," he replies but he sounds anything but sincere. He doesn't really want to be Hokage. He's only doing it out of obligation for the village.

Sakumo starts to stir so Kakashi gets up and heads to put him down for a nap while Akaya and I head to the kitchen and start on dinner. She helps me roll the rice balls and stir the sauce while Kakashi stands behind her and shows her how it's done, guiding her tiny hands with his.

I watch in awe as Kakashi Hatake speaks with such softness and admiration for the little girl. Years ago, I never would have thought in a million years that cold-hearted Kakashi Hatake would have such a soft-spot for children. Even with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, Kakashi always kept a cold edge.

It's weird to think that he used to be nothing but my captain, squad leader of Team Ro, the cold-hearted man everyone grumbled about. I despised him.

And now I despise myself for ever despising him. For being ignorant and unable to see past the coldness that enveloped him. But it's in the past, I remind myself. I hardly have to remind myself anymore as he always has ways of showing his love to me and to our children. Funny that the boy who grew up without a family ended up being such a family man.

After dinner, we watch a movie together on the couch. Kakashi holds Akaya while I hold Sakumo and we lean on each other, my head on his shoulder. It's a boring movie but it passes the time and it honestly just feels nice to spend this time together as a family. By the time the credits roll, both children are fast asleep and the sun has long since set. We quietly move them to their rooms before resorting to our own room.

"This was great," I say as I pull my shirt off and search through a drawer for my silk nightshirt. "Really, I can't imagine a better evening."

"Is that so?"

The voice in my ear scares the hell out of me and instinctively, I jump, screeching a little and throwing a hard punch before realizing what I've done. Kakashi recoils, holding his nose with one hand and the wall with the other to stabilize him. "Oh, my god, I'm so sorry, I-" I reach out to look at his nose when he takes me by surprise again, wrapping his arm swiftly around my waist and pulling me into him.

"You were gonna look at my nose, weren't you?" he mutters, breath hot, face just inches away. "Well, now you've got a really good look at it."

Still a little taken back from his unexpected moves, I furrow my eyebrows, laying my hands on his chest. "You scared me... You know how I don't like being jumped like that-"

He does exactly what I just told him not to, taking the breath out of my lungs when he twirls me around and up against a wall, pressing his lips to mine in a soft contrast to his otherwise harsh movements. His lips are gentle but sure, dancing in sync with mine in an all-enveloping feeling.

The feeling moves, making its way down my neck and shoulder, then lower to my exposed chest, not having had the chance to put my nightshirt on yet.

An undignified noise escapes my mouth when his fingers edge at the hem of my panties.

"Don't tease me, Kakashi."

"Ah, but you told me not to surprise you. I'm just giving you a fair warning," he purrs, lips finding mine once more before I have a chance to respond.

I practically fling myself around him, legs wrapped at his hips and hands swung tightly around his neck. Even despite my lack of shinobi missions lately, I've still managed to keep my strength up pretty good. But not enough. Kakashi has always and will always have the upper hand in the strength and size category and there's no use fighting it. He carries me to the bed and lays me down, grabbing hold of my arms and holding them above my head.

"No surprises, huh?" he mutters, eyes boring deeply into mine. As he pulls his shirt off, I can't help but think that's not the only thing of his I want deep within me tonight. The thought makes my entire body tingle and a red-hot blush rises to my cheeks.

"Maybe just a few. Surprises."

Say no more, his eyes speak just then. In that moment, they almost light up as bright as our chirpy young daughter's. I could bask in those grey eyes so full of life for eternity. Eyes so often cold but always warm for me. Warmth and pleasure moves from my chest down lower and so does he, skillfully navigating me like the back of his own hand.

Before long, my mind is lost and so is his, a jumbled mess of pleasure and need, fire and tidal waves, all at once. I catch glimpses of my husband, so vulnerable and raw. He looks onto me with nothing but marvel in his matching grey eyes, even through and beyond the foggy haze that is our brains. His warmth fills me, not just in physical form. Every pain in our pasts, present, and future disappears, evaporating into mist. Before long, there's a mist of sweat covering both our tangled bodies as we breathe each other's air and hold tightly to the other, silently promising to never let go.

* * *

Kakashi's inauguration is just like every inauguration that came before, except that there's a gasp of disappointment when his stone face is revealed, mask still intact. I giggle into my sleeve, trying to hide my amusement as I stand up in front of the entire Hidden Leaf Village. I catch my husbands eyes and I'm pretty sure he winks.

I pat a steady rhythm on Sakumo's back, begging him to stay asleep during the ceremony. He was quite off from his usual chill self this morning, crying up a storm and insisting on throwing away every pacifier I gave him. For now, he remains silent, slung across my chest while I stand on Kakashi's left, his daughter on his right holding tightly to his hand and half-hiding behind him. She looks down on the Leaf Village with great curiosity, wide grey eyes gleaming. I feel a moment of both fear and relief, thinking about what this village will someday mean to her. Hoping it will mean something to her, rather. I know these people will have her back always. Kurenai and Mirai and the next generations to come. Yugao and Tenzo, despite the different lives we lead now. Their still-commitment to ANBU and consequently to the darkness, living in the shadows so that she never has to.

Or maybe Akaya will desire that life, like I so craved it. After all, both of her parents came from those shadows.

Nobody can truly know how the future will pan out. All we know is that we will continue to do everything in our power to protect it, and the generations belonging to it.

Kakashi takes an oath and bows to Lady Tsunade before turning and bowing to his village. He keeps an expression of calm but I know he's dreading this more than anything.

The only reason he took this job is because of his undying commitment to this village and it's safety. After years in the dark, protecting from the shadows, Kakashi Hatake will now take on the role of the Light of the Village. Hokage. One people see and look up to. A man constantly on display. All things he hates, but all things he's willing to do for the greater good of this village.

The after party we hold is small, as per Kakashi's request. I don't blame him, after a day in front of cameras and thousands of onlookers. Akaya and Sakumo are at Kurenai's for the night and Kakashi and I sit at an all-too familiar table.

Yugao sits across from us, making quick conversation with Tenzo and throwing back sake like there's no tomorrow. There probably won't be, with how hungover she's gonna be. Kakashi barely drinks, careful to never show his face when he does. But he smiles softly under the mask, basking in all the good feelings of this night. Old friendships remembered, spending a night at the bar with the old Team Ro, it would be easy to forget that we're living in different times. Easy to think we're all 19 again, anxiously awaiting missions, trading off our easy missions for the highest ranked missions we could get our hands on. Begging to be placed on assassinations.

How times have changed. Since the war, Kakashi has wanted nothing but to spend time with me and with our children. Must be because he thought he might never get to come home at all. And, while spending time with his family is not exactly the worst post-war side effect, (so many shinobi came out with PTSD that the Konoha hospital had to open another psychological recovery wing), the need does source from dark times and simply amplifies the emotions. The only reason he agreed to come drinking tonight is because it's his first night as the official Hokage and we were gonna throw him a party anyways. This way, he wouldn't need to talk to a bunch of people and shake hands, he could just sit back and enjoy the company of a few old friends.

But I know his only thoughts are of seeing Akaya and Sakumo tomorrow, picking them up from Kurenai's and wrapping his strong arms around them both.

"You're a great father," I whisper so only he can hear. "And you're not doing anything wrong by taking a night away. They're probably being spoiled rotten at Kurenai's, I'm sure they don't miss you at all."

A soft grunt is all I get until a strange sort of smile forms beneath the thin mask. One that does not reach his eyes in the slightest. He leans back against the booth, arms crossed and eyes closed as he murmurs in reply, "That's not what's bothering me."

"What's wrong then?" I press. While I look at him, willing him to answer, the server comes by with another round of drinks. Everyone throws it back without hesitation but I push it aside, earning a few confused glances before they ignore me and get back to their drunk bickering--Yugao and Tenzo are in the middle of a heated argument about which oil is best for cooking.

Finally, after a long silence, Kakashi answers.

"I'm a danger to them."

"To who?" I tilt my head in utter confusion. He's talking gibberish. Most of the time, I understand my husband with few words. Our minds in sync, as if connected by some wire—we know exactly what the other is thinking. But tonight, the wire seems cut.

"To our kids."

"What the hell kind of thought is that? You're not a danger to them-"

"My title is a danger to them."

I huff, eyeing the drink I neglected earlier. It sits there waiting. "If you're worried they'll despise you for your title, I assure you they won't. Akaya only ever looks to with with utter admiration, she looks up to you more than anyone else. And Sakumo is so like you, you'll have no trouble with him."

He just shakes his head, eyes looking across the table but not watching anything that's going down. I hear Yugao and Tenzo bickering but don't listen. I only have ears for my husband right now, trying desperately to understand his strange and sudden fear.

"No, not that," he sighs. He grabs an abandoned shot from the middle of the table and throws it back quickly before anyone can see, earning only a late and disappointed glance from Tenzo. He talks only loud enough for me to hear, "They're targets now, simply because they are my children. The Hokage's children." He's all business. Not a bit of emotion in his voice, despite the sensitive subject. None of the alcohol he's consumed tonight even manages to take a slight edge on him.

"We're in alliance with all the other great nations," I mutter, trying to find a reason for his fear and somehow console him at the same time. It seems totally irrational.

He says the next words so quiet I can barely hear them. I have to lean in to understand. His eyes dart around the room, making sure absolutely no one can hear him, despite the fact that nobody is near enough to hear him anyways, "There's rumour of some anti-alliance groups—mostly rogues from the great nations or Shinobi undercover in their own villages, those against the recent alliances. Those still holding grudges and biases against one nation or another."

For a moment I sit there and tune back in to Tenzo and Yugao's argument, "Peanut oil is obviously best, it fries better than anything."

"But canola is the most diverse."

Some of the others chip in, completely oblivious to Kakashi and I and our blank stares, or way too drunk to care, "Nooo it's gotta be extra virgin olive oil man-"

"Cliche!"

I turn to Kakashi and allow the concern to show. He sees it but doesn't react, especially not in front of the others. I know this must be extremely confidential information. He's probably not even supposed to share it with his wife.

"We just got out of one war, are you saying there could be another?"

"Civil, if anything. Nations fighting within their own nations. Anti-alliancers verses the village leaders. Rogue shinobi everywhere, even beneath our own noses."

"Traitors undercover," I mutter back, nodding in some understanding. He nods ever so slightly, eyes trained on the others but not watching their spews. Mind too intricately focused on the larger issues at hand.

I reach for the shot I neglected earlier and throw it back quickly, curling in distaste at the burn of the alcohol in my throat.

"I'm assigning ANBU to watch over you and the kids, 24/7."

"Kakashi, is that really necess-"

"Yes," he says sternly. Drunk eyes flicker to us, minds only half in the moment. Enough for Kakashi to continue speaking despite the attention. Though he keeps his words short. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone. I've got ANBU watching Kurenai and the kids as we speak."

I fall back into the booth, crossing my arms and frowning with furrowed brows.

"What sort of life is that?"

"A safe one, at the moment." He puts his arm around me and pulls me into his shoulder, planting a kiss on my temple and speaking softly into my ear. "Just until I figure this out. Until better security systems are in place and we can root out the traitors."

Sighing, I allow myself the slight comfort of leaning into him fully, letting my shoulder weigh against his. Letting go of the weight of the moment. Focusing on the tingling feeling forming in my limbs and head as the buzz of the alcohol warms me.

We head out early that night, before most of the stars have been able to appear. Nobody seems to mind or notice, all too drunk or distracted to care. Slowly, we walk home in the evening breeze, the cold soothing to my hot skin. The fresh air giving way to deep breaths and moments of false calm--temporarily forgetting my struggles.

But I'm quickly sobered and deftly reminded of the situation when I catch short glimpses of ANBU in the shadows, watching for anything unordinary, watching the Hokage, watching his wife, ensuring they are safe walking home in their own village.

And, once again, things are anything but ordinary. Even when the war is over, it never really goes away.

Kakashi stirs in his sleep, recounting the war and the wars before that, bad memories resurfacing after years of suppression. I know the feeling, I still have nightmares about Raven and everything he did to me. Kakashi was there to comfort me. I hold my husband, wishing the nightmares to disappear but knowing they never truly will.