A groan escapes from partially parted lips. Eyelids flutter open at a ray of light escaping the white-curtained windows. They close again almost instantly, burying them deep in the fluffy pillow. The soft blankets twisted and curled as the body pressed harder into the mattress, protesting on the need to leave the feathery comforts. Time heeded to his request and Kakashi inhaled the vanilla scent present in the room, inviting him back to his peaceful slumber.

A very strange lullaby was playing in his head. Sounding similar to thunderstorms, distant howling of animals and metals scarping against skin. It was a strange melody that Kakashi soon forgot, the memory being replaced by the sounds of crystal clear water dripping down the mountain stones, splashing in the rocks, plummeting down the falls. This music is much more preferable for beautiful mornings such as this.

"Wake up, my love…"

The voice was so wonderful in his ears that Kakashi opened his eyes to look at the source - which in his mind would be as equally beautiful. He was prepared for it yet when Kakashi had chanced to see, it was more than what he had expected.

"Good morning…" Sasuke climbs to the bed beside him, the soft mattress just sinking a bit despite his weight. Sasuke's hands travel under his blanket and land on top of his chest. "Mmm…" The kiss vibrates as Sasuke places his pink lips on top of his, smiling then kissing, smiling again then kissing again. When soft lips kissed his eyelids, Kakashi felt like slipping into dreamland again.

Kakashi's hands automatically wrapped around the slender body on top of him. Kakashi has memorized every sinew, every curve of the smaller framed man and his hands knew where to rest. He would have like to sleep more, but with Sasuke nibbling on his lips, the task became difficult.

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet." Kakashi put a finger near Sasuke's lips in warning.

Sasuke lightly shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Way to ruin the mood." He dislodged himself from Kakashi's hold. "Here am I, even thinking of bringing your breakfast to bed." With an irritation, Sasuke marches out the room, shouting "Now you will hurry down and eat with me."

Kakashi finds laughter coming out of his lungs. He always thought Sasuke's conduct to be very interesting despite it being cold and restrained. Oddly, the Sasuke in Kakashi's mind was never as funny as this. When he hears Sasuke still shouting downstairs, the thought was gone from his mind, as if it was never there.

"Father will be mad if you do not visit soon." Kakashi hears as soon as he steps at the landing. He looks around, finding it weird that he's admiring their house despite having lived in it for months. Maybe it's all because his dream home looks so very similar.

"You still have not thanked him for the boar he sent last week." Sasuke was standing near the dining table, apparently waiting for him to come before he sat down. "I thought he'd apologized to you? Had Sakumo done anything upsetting?"

A lifetime of memories flood Kakashi's head. Sakumo was a good father. He had been Kakashi's source of strength for all his life. Sakumo had only made him upset because he didn't want Kakashi to retire from being a shinobi but that was resolved now. However, the war had ended years ago and he had made his peace with his father.

"I will visit him today." Kakashi hurried to sit down so Sasuke could start eating. The man would always wait for him for meals - only for meals though. Kakashi made eating in their home a family affair and he made it a rule for it to always be done together.

That was not such a bad idea, doing it together with Sasuke. And so Kakashi gathered up the courage to invite the man to join him. "Will you come with me?" he asked with a pleading smile. "Father would like to see you too."

"Coward." Sasuke snapped at him before eating a slice of his favourite red tomatoes. "The White Fang's own son is afraid of him; how pathetic."

"You hurt me with your words." Kakashi frowned while chewing. "Why don't we visit the the Uchiha compound? I should like to pay Fugaku and Mikoto a visit."

"Hmph!" Sasuke's eyes widen before he turns his head to the side.

Kakashi starts laughing again. It seemed contagious, as Sasuke started smiling after. They ate their first meal that day with light-hearted feelings, stories of the past and hopes for the future. It was a wonderful start for a busy day.

"Shower together?" Kakashi asked Sasuke after they finished with the dishes. Doing everything together really sounds so appealing.

"I already took a bath." Sasuke sighed, walking away from him looking defeated. It looks as if he could not believe the absurdity of Kakashi's suggestion. "And you are a pervert."

Because of that, Kakashi took his shower alone. He did it very languidly, an effect of the hot water that seemed to put him back to sleep. He almost slept standing below the showerhead, his hands gripping the tiles for balance. When it became foggy, Kakashi decides to stop before he actually does fall asleep and hits his head on the wet floor.

As soon as he steps out of the shower, the cool air stuck to his skin so he had to quickly put a towel on. The mirror had become blurred because of the hot vapour and Kakashi had to wipe them off with his fingers. When he saw his face for the first time that morning, he can't help but feel something was off.

The color of his eyes didn't seem right. They were like coals but without the fire. These were his eyes that he was born with, he knew, yet he can feel that something was missing. The feeling was unhelpful - unjustified to say the least. But when he lifted his hands to scrub the droplets of water in his face, the feeling had grown more potent. His fingers miss a touch – a roughness in the smooth, supple skin. Kakashi pauses for a moment to think on it and when nothing came to mind, he had forgotten the feeling entirely.

Kakashi had limited wardrobe so it wasn't difficult to choose an attire. With regards to clothing functionality always came before fashion and that would not change anytime soon. "Sasuke, have you seen my mask?" Kakashi asks when he stepped outside the shared bedroom. He looks around the house and doesn't see any trace of it.

"The dog mask?" Sasuke's asked with a raised eyebrow. "What will you need them for?"

Kakashi's head hurt a little. Doesn't he always wear a mask? Everytime he left the house, he always made sure there was something concealing his face. "Not the ANBU mask but the black one…" Kakashi can't stop his eyes from looking around. "You know? The one I always wear to cover half my face…"

"If you're feeling cold, just get a scarf." Sasuke was close to ticking off. "It's a foggy morning too."

On second thought, a scarf would be nice. Why was he looking for a mask anyways? It was chilly outside and a scarf would be better to keep warm. Kakashi ran back to his wardrobe and grabbed a a long red one. He smirks, thinking maybe later Sasuke would get cold and they could share their warmth through the scarf. Kakashi chuckles to himself, feeling like a hopeless romantic all of a sudden.

"Slow." Sasuke greets him outside his room.

"We are not in a hurry." Kakashi replies back while he opens the front door.

"You really don't want to see him, do you?" Sasuke smirks as he closes the picket fence. They lived in a small house just outside the suburbs. Kakashi had bought land with the money he earned from his missions. There was plenty, Kakashi has been working as a shinobi since he was six. He has successfully finished thousands of missions - some of them were even SS-ranked. After retirement, he's become a writer now. They lived on their savings and the royalties he gets from his books. They lived a simple life, quiet and slow. The kind of life he promised Sasuke then.

"Why don't we walk slower?" Kakashi suggested. In truth, Kakashi really did want to see his father but convincing Sasuke would take too much effort and time. Arguing with Sasuke would end with someone getting hurt so he'd rather succumb to Sasuke's assumptions. A nice, slow walk to the town with Sasuke was a better alternative too.

Sasuke gives him a knowing smirk before agreeing. "Maybe you'd also like to take the scenic route?"

"Will it be longer?"

"Of course."

"Then yes."

Kakashi was surprised that Sasuke had smiled. No matter how many years have passed, no matter how tall Sasuke had grown, to Kakashi's eyes he'll always be a child. However, though some things never change, some do. Back then Sasuke's smiles were full of arrogance and mischievous intent. But now the smiles were much simpler, much truer to their original form – filled with happiness and contentment.

Sasuke lead the way, walking ahead of him for about three to four steps. Kakashi was falling further behind because he kept admiring the beauty of nature around him. Sasuke had taken him through the mountain and now they were walking up the trail to what seemed like an old temple. The stone steps were broken and the statues looked so ancient. Sasuke was walking towards an upside down garden, where vines fell on top of the trees and grew long enough to touch the ground. There was an endless curtain of pink and white flowers all around. Some of the petals were falling and it looked like it was raining flowers.

Kakashi was walking around aimlessly, his attention fully focused on the lovely colors. "Aren't they pretty?" Kakashi asks the man beside him but there was no one there.

For a moment Kakashi panics when he doesn't see Sasuke anywhere. "Sasuke!" He calls out, trying to sound like he was searching rather than calling for help. When he didn't get an answer, Kakashi started walking past the curtain of flowers but the thickness and the density of vines obstructed his view. "Sasuke!" he calls out again. Maybe Sasuke had forgotten all about him. Maybe he had found his way out of the vines.

Kakashi could only sigh. With his current predicament, he is tempted to summon Pakkun but he'd promised the nin-dogs some rest when he retired. In the end, Kakashi decided to solve his problems by himself. He'd summon the nin-dogs for parties and reunions but not for favors. Those days are over now.

Kakashi scratches his head at the endlessness of the flowery world. "Where do I start?"

Just then, Kakashi hears voices from afar. It didn't sound anything like fairies or forest nymphs. More like Sasuke calling out his name.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi calls out louder now. Maybe Sasuke was lost too. Highly unlikely. It was more probable that Sasuke had noticed he was gone and was looking for him. "Sasuke!" Kakashi calls out non-stop so Sasuke could follow his voice. "SASU—"

All of a sudden, Kakashi feels arms embrace him from the back.

"Sasuke..." Kakashi calls out the name much softer now. The man was hugging him from behind, burying his face on his back, and apparently trying to tone down the laughter. "Were you playing jokes on me?" Kakashi put a little sadness in his voice. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"You should have seen your face when you realized you were lost!" Sasuke was trying to control his laugher. "It was so funny!"

"Is it?" Kakashi just chuckled. Sasuke's laughter was contagious. It brought relief to his troubled heart, blowing away all his worries. "Well it's not funny when I see you gone…" Kakashi scolded him. "In fact, it's the scariest thing I could feel. I was about to die if you hadn't showed up."

At that, Sasuke's laughter abruptly dies down. Kakashi was impressed at how he could make Sasuke regret what he did but he didn't want to go that far to upset him. He always liked when Sasuke played games; contrary to popular belief Sasuke was a fun and playful person too.

Sasuke hold had become tighter now. "Is it really that scary?" There was hint of joy in Sasuke's voice, just for knowing the fact that he had that effect on Kakashi.

"Yes it is." Kakashi turns around from his spot, uncoiling the scarf around his neck, leaving half of it on before putting the rest on Sasuke's. "So you will put this on and we will walk beside each other from now."

"Now I have to wear this thing because you can't keep up with me." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "You and your dirty tricks."

Kakashi didn't mind Sasuke's insults. Not when there was a blush in his cheeks and a smile on his face. And with that, with the scarf keeping them close together, they walked out of the flowery garden.

The scenic route didn't end there though. Not a few minutes later, they came across a wide stream. A cool mist was blocking their view again as the waterfall poured fresh, cool water into it. Kakashi started controlling the chakra on his feet but then Sasuke playfully stepped on them.

"That's no fun." Sasuke teases before removing the scarf on his neck and twisting them around his hand. He then quickly jumps at the stone steps seemingly floating in the water. Sasuke tugged the scarf, making Kakashi step forward and follow.

When he brought the scarf Kakashi thought it would be romantic but Sasuke had somehow transformed it into his leash. "Not so fast, I might slip." Kakashi warns. He certainly has the skill to keep himself balanced on the slippery stones but there was no fun in that.

"Do not worry," Sasuke reassures him. "If you fall, I will jump after you."

"But it's cold." Kakashi teases him. "I do not want for you to get wet."

"Then do not slip and fall." Sasuke looks back to him with an impish smile before tugging the scarf and jumping at the stones with greater speed.

Fortunately, they made it past the wide stream without getting entirely wet. Kakashi shakes of the droplets of water that stuck in his hair. He notices that Sasuke was ignoring the droplets of water in his hair and decides to help him out with it.

"Oi!" Sasuke shouts when Kakashi assaulted him from behind. "Stop that!" He slaps Kakashi's hands away. "Leave my hair alone!"

"Stop struggling!" Kakashi insists on doing this favour. To appease the affronted man, Kakashi cups Sasuke's face and kisses him on his temples. It makes Sasuke stop and blush.

"That's enough!" Sasuke said after a while. It was obvious that he enjoyed Kakashi's display of affection but he will not admit it. He stomps away from Kakashi, snubbing the scarf altogether. "This way." Sasuke motions for Kakashi to follow him.

"Why walk so far away from me?" Kakashi tried to keep up.

"Che." Sasuke sneers.

Kakashi finds Sasuke's version of playing hard to get very amusing. Then again, Kakashi was also a stubborn man. The grumpier Sasuke became, the more he's challenged to soften his heart. He had courted Sasuke so many times in the past - serenading him, giving him flowers and sweets. His attempts annoy Sasuke to no end but Kakashi knew deep inside, Sasuke loved him for it.

Kakashi was so thankful that Sasuke loved him. Sasuke was the most precious thing in this world. Kakashi can't help but feel that he had lost Sasuke before. Something was telling him that Sasuke had left, that he had gone, and that he was missing. When something you love had gone, when it comes back, you'll love it more. When something you love was lost, when you find it, you will treasure it more. Though Sasuke had never gone from him, though Sasuke had never been lost, Kakashi can't help but feel as if he were.

"Aren't you coming?"

Kakashi had been daydreaming and Sasuke's voice woke him. When he looked up, he can't help but gasp at the scene before him. Truly, this was scene to behold.

Sasuke was standing on a stone arch bridge. The stream below it made music similar to his dream – water dripping on stones as they steadily flowed amplified by the silence of the forest. The gentle breeze played with Sasuke's hair, carrying with it small pink flowers and yellow leaves picking their graves on the earth. The sunlight peeked from the thick canopy of leaves that blocked the sky, making the water around Sasuke shimmer, making his pale skin glow and radiate his beauty.

Kakashi's heart swells at the sight. Never has he seen anything so beautiful.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks when Kakashi walked up to him. The older man's eyes were teary.

"So beautiful…" Kakashi couldn't help but say. His heart was exploding with emotions and he feels like dying because of the happiness inside of him. "You are so beautiful, Sasuke."

Sasuke was about to reprimand him for making him sound like a girl but Kakashi's lips on his prevented him from speaking. Kakashi was cupping his face with gentle hands and he deepened the kiss, putting more passion, more affection, more of his emotions into every brush of his tongue and every peck of his lips.

Sasuke succumbs into the kiss, with knees buckling and arms desperately clinging to the other man's shoulders. Sasuke was certain he had a terrible blush in his cheeks.

"I love you, Sasuke." Kakashi whispers.

The words echo in the room and Sasuke wakes from his slumber. He looks at the candle in the bedside table. By the amount of wax that melted, Sasuke could tell that he had woken in the middle of the night. There were no windows in his room so he wouldn't know how high the moon was in the sky.

Waking in the middle of the night doesn't surprise him though; he hasn't had proper sleep for years now, ever since it happened.

Sasuke gets out of bed and coughs. The dead bodies rotting in the room had produced a stench so pungent it turned your stomach upside down. Sasuke would have burned them with his black flames but decided he'd wait until morning, after he had moved his most precious cargo resting in the adjacent room.

Orochimaru's secret lairs weren't so secret after all, if these weak shinobi were able to find them. Orochimaru died before he could destroy his laboratories and hideouts and Sasuke was the only one alive who knew their location. Sasuke had been using them as a hiding place ever since he escaped Konoha. After being reinstated as a citizen of the Leaf, Sasuke was a missing-nin yet again.

Sasuke didn't want to be a shinobi anymore. He has had enough of war. He didn't give a fuck about the hopes and dreams of those delirious men. Peace could never truly exist in a world full of hatred, full of people hungry for power. He had been fighting for a lost cause - fighting a war and seeing its end just for another to take its place. He has had enough of war. He hated it. He hated the very thing that could take his love away from him.

Sasuke walks out of his room, his sandals sinking in ankle-deep blood, still a sticky crimson unlike those that clung to the walls and ceiling, dark and dry and black and dead.

Sasuke takes his sandals off when he reaches Kakashi's room. He dared not to get even speck of dirt enter the pristine chamber. Kakashi's room was white, clean and fragrant.

Sasuke checks the monitors to see if anything was wrong. Kakashi's heartbeat was normal. His brain activity was higher than usual but it was not cause for alarm.

Sasuke stands beside Kakashi's bed, watching the man sleep. Sleeping was all Kakashi did now. Sasuke missed seeing Kakashi awake. The last that Sasuke had seen him awake was when Kakashi was hurrying to aid the Hokage. Kakashi was already in his weakened state and the next fight would certainly claim his life. Kakashi was ignoring Sasuke's warning then. Sasuke was begging him to step down but Kakashi was stubborn.

That was why when Sasuke suddenly kissed Kakashi, he cast a powerful genjutsu unbeknownst to the man. It changed Kakashi's memories, altered his perception of time and created a whole new reality for him. Sasuke didn't like for Kakashi to live in a dream but Kakashi deserved a life without pain. He deserved happiness more than anyone. He deserves all the happiness in the world and more, so much, much more.

This was the first time in Kakashi's eternal sleep, that Sasuke finds tears in Kakashi's face. Sasuke didn't know why Kakashi was crying in his dreams. But Sasuke knew there was no pain there, there was no hurt there. There was only happiness and love.

All this madness was not done in vain.

Sasuke was content to know that all the unlawful deaths, all the tragedies he unleashed to the earth, his rebellion against humanity, his defiance to the shinobi world - everything was justified.

For Kakashi's tears of joy.