AN: Short chapter this time around, but questions about what happened during the night of the wedding will be answered...in the next chapter.

Chapter warning: themes related to suicide

Ignoring the way that her legs screamed at her to stop, she forced herself to move faster.

I'm late.

It was the only thought that Sakura had as she ran past the chunin unlucky enough to have gotten stuck on the graveyard shift for gate duty. The kunoichi ran past without bothering to sign in, knowing that she would deal with Tsunade's temper later due to her breach in protocol. Sakura's stay in Suna had been unexpectedly extended by two weeks to finalize plans for the implementation of a medic exchange program between nations. She had been running almost nonstop for three days back to Konoha since then.

Without fully noticing that she had made her way across the village, she finally found herself in front of a familiar, scuffed door with a missing number. Letting herself into the dark apartment, Sakura unzipped her dusty flak jacket and let it fall to the floor. She searched the medical pouch still strapped around her waist for a certain container as she quietly made her way to the living room. "Kakashi?" she called out softy, stepping over the empty bottles that littered the floor.

Faint light from a streetlamp came in through the window, revealing the man in question slumped on the floor in front of the couch. Knowing the state that she would find his hands in, Sakura reached for them. "Let me see," the medic softly ordered.

She poured lotion from the container, and Kakashi remained almost nonresponsive as she rubbed it onto his hands. They were cracked and bleeding from repeated washing. She tossed the bottle aside before wrapping her arms around Kakashi, resting his head on her shoulder. Sakura couldn't help but be struck by how small his tall form felt in her arms.

He stared listlessly at an empty sake bottle on the floor.

It was the anniversary of the day that his whole world had shattered, almost four decades ago. Back then Kakashi had forced himself to numbly complete everyday tasks—it had seemed impossible at the time—until he felt like he could finally breathe again without drowning in grief. Until he could bear the pain that never fully went away but gradually became easier with time. But there were times like tonight that the dull ache would become a sharp wound with jagged edges again.

He was angry and heartbroken and most of all he just wanted his dad.

And then suddenly he wasn't alone anymore.

His voice eventually cut through the weight of the silence.

"Why—" he began hoarsely, his voice breaking and barely above a whisper. "Why did he leave? Why wasn't I enough?"

The overwhelming grief in his eyes broke her heart.

"Oh, Kakashi." She pulled him closer, squeezing his hand. "Don't ever think that you aren't enough. I might not have known your father, but from everything you've told me I know that he loved you. He loved you more than anything."

His hand clutched hers tightly, almost painfully. Sakura gently brushed away the moisture on his cheeks with her free hand. She would never pretend to understand what he was going through, she just wanted to remind Kakashi that he wasn't alone and never would be again. She would always be by his side if he needed her.