It had been six months since Kakashi had taken home the boys. Kakashi was exhausted. He didn't know how he kept going. Being a single father was exhausting and on top of that the job was never done. Right now the boys were on different schedules. He didn't know how, but some how the two kids decided that they were going to sleep and be awake at different times. This means Kakashi for around seven days now had been running on thirty minute naps two times a day where the boys schedules overlapped for sleeping. It was ridiculous and Kakashi had tried all the methods Tsunade had recommended to get them on the same schedule, but nothing worked. Kakashi's head hit the pillow at the end of day seven taking his thirty minute nap before getting up to get Ren.
Ren was the quieter of the two babies. Oko could cry for days and then some. Ren never woke up Kakashi crying, but he knew the baby's schedule so if he didn't go get Ren out of their room then Ren would wake up Oko and commence the crying for days. Walking into the room there the baby was staring at him wide eyed like he was waiting for his father to show up. Kakashi picked up the baby cradling him close to his body smiling under his mask. He looked up at the time and saw the clock read ten at night. Kakashi's smile grew a little realizing it was time yet again for their twice daily ritual. He went over to Oko's crib and picked up the baby slipping him into his baby carriage without disturbing the him. He kept Ren in his arm as he walked them over to the door slipping on his shoes before walking out with them.
Walking through the town at night was soothing to the boys and Kakashi. Ren always looked up at the sky as if he was studying the skies and Oko thank goodness remained silent in the carriage as he navigated his was through the streets. There weren't many people in the town streets by this time, but occasionally Kakashi would get stopped by another Jonin that he would knew and they would hold the baby then be on their way. Today the streets were barren and the town was eerily quite. They made the final turn before seeing their destination and walking through the front doors. He remembered years ago when a certain pink haired pupil volunteered her time everywhere in the hospital including the front desk where he could almost see her turning around smiling at him. Instead a nurse just nodded to him as he made his way to the room he memorized by heart.
Room 217 waited for them. They stood outside of the door knowing what waited in the room. Ren squirming brought Kakashi back to reality. He smiled softly at the boy stroking his head and kissing his forehead. He pushed open the door pushing in Oko's carriage and parking it next to the bed and chair. There in the moon light bathed across her porcelain skin and he slightly faded pink hair that was now reaching almost down to her waist. Kakashi didn't want anyone to cut it yet in case she wanted to grow it back out. Also secretly he thought she looked more mature with longer hair. He took his seat near the bed in the chair holding Ren in one hand and taking her hand in the other. He smiled down at her. He brought her hand up to his face kissing it through his mask whispering into it.
"Good evening Sakura. How has your day been?" Ren squirmed in his arms knowing what time it was. Kakashi moved Sakura's arm so there was enough room to place the squirming baby in his arms. He saw Ren grab onto his mother's night gown as he stared at her body as if waiting for her to react to his touch. Kakashi ran his hand over Sakura's head down her hair smiling at the woman he loved. His other hand on her wrist taking her pulse. He always was taking her vital signs making sure that her body was still working at keeping her alive. Waiting for her to wake up was now months drawn out to what feels like years to Kakashi.
Every morning and evening he would visit the love of his life. In the morning Oko got to lay with his mother, and the night owl that was Ren got her in the evening. This constant cycle had started the morning Kakashi took the boys home. Everyday. Until she woke up he would be here. During the afternoons while Kakashi was taking care of the kids both her parents would be here and Tsunade would come visit. Naruto would come on days when he wasn't away on a mission. At least once a week he would come over to their home and play with the kids during the afternoon until he got tired himself. This always gave Kakashi a break that was much appreciated. Tsunade visited the kids occasionally if she could. Mainly she would visit Sakura checking her status and trying different things to bring her back to her children. Sakura's parents often took the children for one day a month and would bring them back in the evening. With their new schedule he would probably recommend that they stay in the house. This also gave Kakashi a break in which he often came to room 217 and spent the day with the woman he loved.
Ren started to fuss looking a his mother. This is the only time Ren really did cry. As if waiting for his mother to react to him only upset him. Kakashi rubbed his son's stomach with his hand gaining his attention. He started to tickle the baby making him giggle in his mom's arms. Kakashi thought of how it reminded him of Sakura's laugh. She was always laughing with him. He was sure that seeing her kids for the first time would make her laugh too. Though hearing Tsunade's voice in his head he knew it was a waiting game. Though if it was Sakura he would wait the rest of his life for her. No matter what she was his love and these children were their lives.
Kakashi stood up kissing her forehead whispering in her ear the thing he always did. Grabbing Ren up and spinning him in the air above his head he saw the baby smile closing his eyes not giggling though, but looking a little happier. He grabbed the stroller heading toward the door.
"See you tomorrow love. Sleep well." He opened the door and continued their way home to play with Ren until he eventually fell asleep at dawn.
Kakashi finally was able to get into bed around six thirty in the morning. His head hit the pillow again only to hear the doorbell ring. He opened his eyes getting pissed immediately. Who the fuck thought they could interrupt his sacred nap time. Opening the door his saw Sakura's parents standing there smiling at the man.
"Hello Kakashi. You look like shit. We are taking the kids today." Sakura's dad said followed by Sakura's mom hugging Kakashi tightly. The family had gotten rather close these in these past months without Sakura here. He had gotten use to these kind of exchanges with Sakura's mom. When she released him Sakura's dad patted him on the shoulder before walking up stairs. Kakashi quickly went and kissed that children good-bye before going and throwing on his normal ninja attire. He even put on his head band covering his sharingan. Jumping out of his window he started off running toward the old practice field.
There he saw Naruto training alone with some of the other students nearby. Kakashi stayed up in a tree trying to cover up his presence. On days like this he often tried to come see his old pupil to see if he needed help with training. Since he had kind of abandoned the team lately due to having children he needed to make sure Naruto still felt his comrades were with him. That his family was still with him.
Watching him aim different shurinken at different targets scattered around the area. He looked very focus on his training while he threw them about. Kakashi content seeing him training so hard he sat down pulling out his familiar book starting to read. Kakashi about ten minutes later felt a shuriken land with a thud next to his ear with chakra of a blonde ninja registering on it. He smiled to himself lowering his book.
"Spying on your student is something perverts do." Naruto yelled in the field. Putting his book away he hopped down into the field smiling at student who grinned idiotically at him.
"I'm surprised you knew I was there. You're improving," he started to smile wider, "very slowly." That struck him like a knife making him fall over.
"You watch me Kakashi I'm slowly starting to improve my rasengan. Soon I'll be able to take you on in a fight by myself. Sakura and Sasuke will both be jealous." As the words left his mouth the pair realized how empty they felt. Not only was Sasuke gone doing who knows what, but now Sakura was basically in a coma. Kakashi grabbed the boy's shoulder tightly.
"We'll get them both back Naruto. You know we always do. The bond we all share can't be severed that easily." After that he hit him over the head with his book and taking a seat on the stump nearby. "You should be working on more chakra control with your rasengan. Get to work."
The morning continued into the afternoon until Naruto hit the ground with a thud from exhaustion. His breathing was heavy and Kakashi jumped up helping the young boy stand up. He started to walk off after that only making one comment before walking away.
"Keep up that practice and maybe one day you'll be able to take me on alone." Naruto's eyes shined on that comment. Though to be completely honest he never wanted to do anything alone. He would rather have his comrades surround him. He would rather Team 7 be as it was.
~
The next stop for Kakashi was somewhere he usually spent his days off. He walked along the bustling town reading his book ignoring the pity looks he would receive from people. The talk of the town was often his story and how much of a pity it was that the man so in love with the woman was left a single father just as his father before him. Though it wasn't true. He was a temporary single father because their mother was still here. Still waiting for something to wake her up. Walking into Ino's parents flower shop he saw Ino waiting behind the counter with a bouquet of flower already made for him. She handed them to the man.
"Tell Sakura I said hi." That was all Ino said as Kakashi finished paying for the flowers and leaving the store. It was a normal day off routine. Ino always brought Sakura flowers after the shop closed, but on his days off Kakashi did it. Today she had put together a variety of pink flowers with different shades varying from light to dark. It was beautiful like all the flower Ino put together, but the ones made for Sakura always seemed to have much more thought put into them. He placed his book in front of his face carrying the flowers to the hospital.
Walking into the front doors he saw the Hokage standing at the front desk talking to different nurses. Kakashi nodded to the woman before trying to get down the hallway before she could talk to him. He just wanted to see Sakura. He made it halfway down the hall before her heard her call his name. Sighing he slowly turned around addressing her respectfully.
"Going to see Sakura I'm guessing. The pink is very fitting." She commented this to the silver haired man.
"Yes. So I should be going to see her." Kakashi said taking a step back.
"Yes you should go see her. Honestly Kakashi you are a very patient man. Sakura is very lucky to have you." With this she actually turned around leaving him standing in the hallway a little baffled. Usually their exchanges ended with her saying it's only a matter of time before she wakes up in a varied of different ways.
He sighed again wondering why she was saying how lucky she was to have him. Honestly he found himself lucky she could put up with his lazy demeanor and overall slacker personality. There was also the fact he was a closet pervert with his reading habits. Kakashi turned on his heals walking his way to see her making her way to room 217. There he stood frozen outside the door like he always did before walking in. It's like he was mentally preparing himself to see her there. Laying down, eyes closed, and motionless is how he always found her. Mentally he felt prepare to see her so he placed his hand on the door pushing it open. He found that the privacy curtain had been drawn slightly covering half of her body from his sight.
He walked over pulling back the curtain in hand only to see Sakura sitting up in the bed looking out the open window. Her cheeks had a pink tint to them showing the life running through her body again. He hair was flowing over her shoulders softly beating in sync with the wind that forced it's movements. Kakashi could feel the glow radiating from her. He dropped the flowers from his grip slacking in shock. This made Sakura turn toward him smiling widely. Instantly she had tears flowing down her face as she smiled at him. This smile showed that she was sorry she was gone so long, but also that she was extremely happy to see his face again.
This made Kakashi close his eyes tightly. Shit he was dreaming in the middle of the damn day. Opening his eyes once more he only saw her smiling wider knowing he thought she was too good to even be a day dream. Realizing the wait was gone and that she was back Kakashi sprinted into action grabbing a hold of Sakura's body. He pressed her frail body against him tightly feeling her hair against his fingers burying his face into the top of her head. Her hands were brought up clinging on her back. Sakura's grip was still weak so her hands on his back felt so unsteady on clothing. She had started out right sobbing into his chest. Kakashi had started to cry as well letting tears fall down his face either soaking his mask or falling into her hair.
After a couple minutes of just holding each other Sakura's breathing had calmed down and Kakashi had stopped crying, but his face still remained wet. He let his grip on Sakura go a little so that his hands still remained on her face as he sat on the edge of the bed. He started stroking her head and looking her over whipping the tears still flowing from her eyes. Neither of them said a word still shocked from being able to hold one another again. Kakashi still smiling like an idiot looked her over again still in disbelief. He rested his head on her shoulder one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder.
"Kakashi," The man shuttered under hearing her voice again tightening his grip on her in response, "I could hear you every time you were talking to me." She sniffled a little. "I'm so sorry I left you again. I'm here to stay forever now. Every time you visited you told me if I woke up you'd marry me and we'd be a family forever. You and our two babies. You told me you would stay waiting forever. I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I love you so much Kakashi and I love those children so much too." Her hands gripped his hair and his shoulder as she clung to him apologizing for something she couldn't even control.
Kakashi didn't say a word in response all he did was bring head up from her shoulder pulling down his mask and bringing his lips to hers telling her she was more than forgiven. All her family wanted was for her to be here forever. She responded immediately to him running her hand over his face slowly telling him how much she missed this, missed him. When their kiss broke Kakashi put their foreheads together.
"I love you Sakura. Stay by my side."