Kakashi dreams were soft and blurred around the edges. He caught a smile once in a while and the colors pink and green, but he couldn't tell you more than that. He had no idea who his soulmate was. Everyone dreamt about their other half, but Kakashi's dreams still hadn't gotten around to giving him a face. Kurenai told him it was because he hadn't met them yet. The dreams got clearer the closer your relationship got.

At the beginning, people thought the dreams were like visions of the future. That idea had been proven false, but it was still a complicated thing that wasn't fully understood. Children would dream of their soulmate the way they looked as an adult, then as they got older learning that the image was scarily accurate. Some said their soulmate talked to them in their dreams, comforting them and telling them about their future relationship. Childhood soulmates talked about it like they had shared dreams with each other. It was still something unknown and inexplicable. There wasn't an exact science to it.

It wasn't every dream either. For Kakashi, his soulmate dreams were rare gems amongst the nightmares he had. He didn't remember much of them when he woke up, but they always gave him the best sleep and he woke up feeling light. He wanted to chase after them, but the further he got into ANBU, the less he even wanted to sleep. They weren't worth the chance his pessimistic self had decided.

It was a few years after he'd left ANBU that he'd first remembered a dream, at least bits and pieces of it. He remembered she had been around his age in the dream, not that that meant anything to her actual age. Her smile kept with him throughout the day, bright green eyes, and a soft pink. He felt something short of satisfied when he'd woke up. His muscles felt lax and his previous mission no longer haunted him. He felt a warmth in his chest and the feeling was addictive. He wanted more of it. More of her, whoever she was. He hadn't ever put much thought into soulmates until that moment. Had never felt the need to find them. But he did now. She made him feel better without even being there.

He'd curiously looked around him as he walked through the village that day, wondering if he'd recognize her smile somewhere. But he hadn't, years later and he still hadn't. He worried if he ever would. One thing he knew for certain, though, was that he'd know her smile anywhere. He'd find her someday. He would just have to patient.

Sakura was sixteen and sitting on Ino's bed when it was first brought up. Ino was painting her nails and asked her as casually as the girl could probably manage, "Hey, Forehead, who do you dream about?"

Sakura looked at her a little surprised. People loved to talk about their dreams as couples, but not many divulged that kind of information before. It was private for more reasons than one. Soulmates were a sensitive subject and though stories were whispered behind hands and written in books, not many people talked about it openly. A lot of people didn't find their other half, haunted by the perfect person they could never have. Some died and those dreams became bittersweet.

Ino sighed frustrated – nervously, Sakura corrected in her head – and nudged her with her foot. "Oh, come on! We're best friends! I'm not going to tell anyone!"

Sakura eyed her curiously and asked back, "Why do you suddenly want to know? Having dreams about me, Pig?" She winked at the end, not able to pass up an opportunity to tease Ino.

Ino laughed and scoffed, "As if." She was quiet for a moment, her eyes on the nail polish she was painting Sakura's nails with. Then, she admitted, "I've always known, but we haven't…said anything. It makes me unsure. I just – I just wanted to know how it was for other people."

Sakura smiled at her when blue eyes flickered up nervously. She patted her thigh with her free hand and told her softly, "Okay, Ino. I'll tell you what it's like for me if it will make you feel better."

Ino sighed in relief and smiled. "Thank you so much."

Sakura shrugged and looked off to the side. "Well, hold your breath. I might not even help. I don't have as clear of dreams as others."

Ino asked her confused and grabbed her other hand, "You don't? But you're already a teenager."

"I know. I thought it was weird too." Sakura's eyes moved to watch Ino painting her nails. "I still barely catch things. The most concrete details I have are blue, lightning, and I think a dog? But that might've just been a fluke."

"That's it?" Ino looked at her incredulously, stopping her painting. "Sakura, that's nothing."

Sakura glared at her. "Shut up, Pig."

Ino's face softened and she apologized, "I'm sorry. That's just such a difference from mine. Okay, um, let's work through it."

"Work through it?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at her.

Ino nodded and finished Sakura's nails, then laid back on the bed. Sakura followed suit and laid beside her. "So, you said blue. Like blue what? Blue eyes? Blue hair?"

"Fabric," Sakura answered quietly.

Ino turned her head towards her to give her an exasperated look. "Sakura, every jounin uniform is blue."

"I know." Sakura groaned and grabbed a nearby pillow to cover her face with it.

Ino sighed beside her and then, mused, "Lighting? Um…you have sex during a storm? He proposes during a storm? He gets struck by lightning?"

Sakura snorted beneath her pillow and Ino continued with a chuckle. "Well, that one is kind of up in the air. Alright, so…a dog. An Inuzuka maybe?"

Sakura pulled the pillow away from her face and met Ino's eyes. "That's what I was thinking."

Ino mouthed at her with wide eyes, "Kiba?"

Sakura laughed at her worried expression and assured her, "No, it's not him."

Ino rolled her eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

"I just am, Ino, and you know what I mean. Kiba doesn't…fit."

Ino nodded and both girls looked up to stare at the ceiling fan. They were quiet for a moment, Sakura's soulmate remaining as a mystery as it was. Sakura told her, "You should talk to him, Ino. You're good friends. Even if it's…not true, he's not going to turn on you or anything."

Ino bit her lip and shook her head. When Sakura looked over at her, she saw that Ino looked like she was about to cry. She let out a deep breath. "I don't – I'm scared. He doesn't act like...What if I'm wrong?"

She turned her head to Sakura with anxious eyes and Sakura smiled at her, raising an eyebrow. "You're not wrong, Ino. You know it's him, just like I know mine's not Kiba."

Ino stared at her for a moment before nodding. She smiled and looked away from her. "You're right."

"So, are you going to tell him?"

Ino shook her head, but was still smiling. "Not now. Maybe after the war is over."

Sakura took that as a win for now and let the subject drop.

The war was finally over and Kakashi was resting against a tree that was out of the way of all the chaos. He felt strangely at peace, despite some unwanted memories and betrayal that had sprung up today. He closed his eyes and let his exhaustion overtake him with the sounds of bustling shinobi in the distance.

He'd dreamt about his soulmate. She'd been happy in the dream, laughing and teasing him about something – or maybe she'd been scolding him. Either way, her smile was the last thing he saw before he woke up…and then the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.

Sakura was smiling at him as she kneeled beside him. She looked worn out, her hair pulled back up in a messy ponytail and dirt still smudged on her cheek. But she looked happy as she scolded him, bringing a glowing hand up to his forehead. "Kakashi-sensei, you're not a cat. You can't just fall asleep wherever you want."

Kakashi's eyes widened and he didn't respond, just staring at her in complete surprise. Her smile – a smile that had gotten him through so many tough times – faded and she looked at him worried. "Kakashi? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Her voice snapped him back to reality and he chuckled nervously. "I have. Quite a few actually."

Sakura rolled her eyes and her smile came back. "You know that's not what I meant." She moved her hand from his forehead and then unzipped his flak jacket. He didn't make any effort to stop her as she put her hand under his shirt and over the stitches there.

They were quiet for a moment and when she finished, she rested beside him against the tree with a tired sigh. Kakashi tried to distract himself from his scrambled thoughts and asked her, "Aren't you needed out there?"

Sakura looked over in the direction of the medical tents and shook her head. "Tsunade-shishou was about to throw me down in a cot anyway. I don't have much chakra left."

Kakashi frowned at her, knowing she'd learn to see it through his mask. "Sakura –"

She interrupted him with another roll of her eyes, "Don't even start, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not chakra depleted and I had to make sure all of my team were okay before I even thought about resting."

Kakashi deflated and asked, "Naruto and Sasuke?"

She snorted. "Blew each other's arm off."

Kakashi couldn't say he was surprised, but really? Sakura laughed at his wide eyes and assured him, "I stopped the bleeding and wrapped them up. They'll be fine. They were already arguing about something stupid when I left their tent."

Kakashi shook his head with a fond smile and then Sakura leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not ready to go back yet. You mind if I stay here with you for a while?"

Kakashi looked down at her pink hair and replied softly, "Not at all."

She fell asleep minutes later and Kakashi felt an odd warm feeling that she felt comfortable enough to just fall asleep on him. Meeting his soulmate wasn't as romantic as he'd thought it would be. But after his initial shock, he wasn't really all that surprised. He'd always been fond of Sakura, wanted to protect her and keep her happy. He cared about her. He'd chalked it up to being her sensei, a part of it still was, but maybe it was also something else.

He didn't see anything romantic happening anytime soon or maybe ever. Sakura was still young, a lot younger than him. He didn't see her in that kind of light even if she was his soulmate. But he could feel that bond there that was still much more than that. He felt content and had decided a long time ago to be patient. Nothing had really changed. He'd just go on and see where this new revelation took him.

It took years for Sakura to get any memories from her dreams, but when they started coming they didn't seem to stop. Ever since the war, she'd remembered them better. It was still hard for her to remember anything visual, but could recall how soft his hair was when her fingers ran through it. She could imagine the roughness of the callous on his fingers. How tight he held her in her dream, burying his face in her stomach like he was going to fall asleep right there. That was her favorite so far and she'd floated on that memory for weeks.

She was twenty-three when she woke up with his smile still ingrained in her mind. It was crooked with dimples and a small mole near the corner of his mouth. Thinking about it caused a warmth to grow in her chest along with a small disappointment that no one came to mind. She still didn't know who he was, but she felt better about the situation. Slowly and surely, she someday would. She would just have to be patient.

She was catching up on her paperwork in her office, when she heard someone open the window and slip through. She smiled, but didn't look up from her desk. "Is it that hard to just use the door, Kakashi?"

"I can't just walk through the hospital." He walked over to lean against her desk. "What if a nurse tries to drag me into a room for a checkup?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and looked up at him, pointing her pen at him. "That reminds me, you are due for a checkup, aren't you?"

"Mah, I came here with good intentions, Sakura-chan. Don't betray me." He eyed her seriously, making her chuckle.

"For another day then," she compromised, knowing he'd understand the underlying threat.

He smiled and glanced down at her desk that was covered in medical reports. "Do you want me to come back later?"

She shook her head and stood up from her chair. She didn't care if she'd just come back to more stacks in consequence. Her lunches with Kakashi were something she always looked forward to. She couldn't just pass them up. Even after being Hokage, he still went on missions and she missed him while he was away even if he wasn't gone for weeks at a time anymore.

She walked over to the door, holding back a laugh at Kakashi's narrowed eyes. Well, she wasn't going to jump out the window if that's what he was hoping for. She opened it with a smile and promised, "I won't let anyone steal you away and lock you in a room, Kakashi."

He sighed before reluctantly following her out the door. She felt warm where his arm brushed against hers as they walked and she couldn't help but lean towards him. He told her about Sai's social goof ups on their mission and she quietly listened to him talk, finding his voice soothing.

He'd become one of her closest friends over the years and for a reason she couldn't pinpoint, she always felt the most comfortable with him. She sought out his company whenever she could, even if they would just spend the day lounging around her apartment reading books. He did the same and it made her think there might be something growing between them. She couldn't help but smile when he came to see her. Sometimes he would get this gentle look in his eyes when he looked at her and it made her melt.

She didn't know what they were doing, but she didn't stop it. It felt right and she tried to ignore the slight twist of guilt when she remembered a certain dimpled smile.

Kakashi's shoulders shook with silent laughter at the scene before him. Sakura glared at him and then back at her feet where the ninken were circling her and jumping on her. "Why don't you help me instead of laughing?"

"You're the one who decided to get the treats out, Sakura-chan." He reminded her and chuckled as her brows furrowed.

"Wait, didn't I already give you one, Shiba?" Sakura looked around her as the ninken all looked up at her excitedly.

Kakashi chimed in helpfully, "You gave Bisuke two."

That caused a commotion and the other dogs demanded more while Bisuke denied it. Sakura groaned and looked at Kakashi with a threat in her eyes. "I'm about to just drop the box and let them fight over it."

A couple dogs perked up at that, telling her it was a good idea and Kakashi laughed. He walked over to her and took the box from her. When he turned to the ninken, they sat and stared up at him almost guiltily. He sighed dramatically, "Sakura's a guest, boys. You shouldn't take advantage of her kindness."

They avoided his eyes and Kakashi finished giving them their treats, making sure they all got two since Bisuke had managed to trick Sakura earlier. They gave Sakura pleased thanks and wandered back towards their side of the apartment. She rolled her eyes at their retreating backs and turned back to the stove.

Kakashi put the treats away and leaned against the counter beside her. "You spoil them too much."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Funny, you never complain when I spoilyou."

"You do not," he scoffed at her, though he knew it was a complete lie.

She gestured to the pan in front of her. "I am literally cooking your favorite meal right now."

"I didn't ask you to," he countered.

"Exactly." She glanced at him with a smile that he couldn't help but return.

Her hair had fallen in her face and without thinking Kakashi reached out to gently tuck it behind her ear. She paused in her cooking and a faint blush dusted her cheeks. Kakashi bit back a smile and pulled away from her.

"Mah, I suppose you're right." He sighed and looked away from her. "You've ruined other women for me you know."

He caught her surprised blush but then she turned back to her cooking. She didn't say anything in response, but he knew he hadn't imagined her small satisfied smile.

They'd just finished a spar and were resting in the shade of a tree when Sakura grumbled under her breath and started digging through her pouch. When she pulled out a kunai, Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. "Something wrong, Sakura?"

She grabbed her hair and glared at it, moving her fingers like she was trying to decide where to chop it off at. "My hair's gotten too long. I can't stand it in this damnheat anymore. I'm just going to cut it off."

Kakashi chuckled and reached out to grab the kunai from her hand. "Okay, but maybe you should let Ino do it so it's not a mess like last time."

She groaned and angrily threw it over her shoulder, trying to put it back in a ponytail. "I don't get how she does it. Even in a ponytail, it's so heavy. I feel like it's chocking me."

Kakashi moved behind her and caught her hands in his, making her drop her hair. "Maybe if I braid it, it won't be so bad."

She looked over her shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow. "You know how to braid hair?"

"I am a man of many trades." He winked at her and she laughed before turning back around.

Kakashi combed her hair back with his fingers, letting his fingers trail down her neck making her shiver. He smiled underneath his mask in response and started to twist her hair into a braid. He had wondered if Sakura was meaning to grow out her hair. It had gotten almost to her waist after all, but he supposed she was just trying it out. She looked beautiful this way too, but he had to admit he missed her short hair.

As he looked down at the vibrant pink between his fingers, he realized just how much he had fallen for Sakura. It had happened slowly over the years without him even noticing it. He'd gone from not being able to imagine feeling that way to not being able to see himself feeling any other way. He loved her. She was the same woman from his dreams but she was also more than that. She made him happier than any dream ever could. While he still enjoyed waking up from them, they had nothing on the real thing in front of him.

He thought he was fine without her, but whenever she was near he felt like he could breathe better. When she smiled at him, he could feel a warmth sprouting in his chest and he made it a daily goal just to get her to laugh. She simply made him happy.

He had a feeling she felt something similar, but wasn't sure if she knew they were soulmates. She hadn't said anything about it and Sakura wasn't one to keep her thoughts to herself. He wondered what she saw in her dreams. If she saw his face or maybe just vague colors.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he realized she was holding her red ribbon over her shoulder.

He took it and tied off her hair. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts."

She leaned back to meet his chest and looked up at him. "Want to share?"

He hummed and pulled her against him with one arm around her waist. She gasped in surprise and blushed when he leaned forward. Then, he whispered in her ear, "I was trying to decide what to have for dinner."

Sakura laughed and hit him on the arm playfully. "Liar." She pulled away from him and stood up, then held out her hand. "Well, since you won't tell me, I get to pick where we go."

Kakashi chuckled and grabbed her hand, letting her pull him to his feet. He would've let her anyway.

Sakura woke up with her heart racing. She looked around herself realizing it was still night and she was alone unlike in her dream. She felt like a bundle of nerves, both happy and anxious as she tumbled out of her bed to her front door. She barely took the time to put on her shoes before running out into the streets. She had to see him.

Memories of his smiling face still danced in her mind. His hair had fell over his eyes without his headband and his cocky grin was visible without his mask. Even without the shock of silver hair and scar down his left eye, she'd know those eyes anywhere.

He opened his door the moment she got there and she figured he must have felt her chakra signature. He looked at her worriedly, pulling her inside without a second thought. "Sakura, what's wrong? You're barely dressed and it's –"

"Kakashi, I needed to ask you something," she interrupted him, feeling out of breath for more reasons other than her run here.

"Okay?" He prompted with a nod, a worried crease still in between his eyebrows.

She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage and she reached up to hold his face. His hands came to hold hers and she asked him softly, "Can I?"

He gave her a slight nod and she hooked her fingers underneath his mask and tugged it down. When she saw his smile, she couldn't help the overwhelming emotions that hit her and a few tears rolled down her face. Her head fell against his chest and her hands moved to grip at the fabric of his shirt.

She could feel him chuckle against her and he spoke nervously as he wrapped his arms around her, "Wasn't really the reaction I was hoping for."

She laughed and lifted her head to look up at him. "I'm just relieved." She brought one of her hands up to hold his face again and smiled warmly at him. "You're both the man I fell in love with and the one I dream about. I couldn't be happier."

Kakashi smiled at her and then leaned down to kiss her. It was sweet and slow just like their relationship. Sakura could feel every emotion between them in the way they held on to each other. She felt like she had finally got something. When they broke the kiss, he kissed her cheek and told her near her ear as he pulled her closer, "I love you."

She sighed contently and turned her head to kiss him again. "I love you, too."