01.
The first time Hatake Kakashi proposes to Haruno Sakura, they - meaning him posing as the Hokage, Hyuuga Neji as his main bodyguard, Uzumaki Naruto as his other bodyguard, Shiranui Genma as a pain in the ass, and Sakura as his spokesperson slash assistant slash the group's medic - are standing in a storm of preposterous size, soaken to the bone.
Sakura has just sucker punched Kumo's Dean in the face for numerous things, of which the least offensive was denying them an audience. They can all but watch, and Kakashi reasons, this is the wisest action at the present moment.
"I have no respect among these men." Sakura turns around to face them and snarls. The storm holds nothing to her sight. Naruto, on his left, whimpers. "Here I am, a jounin, a medic, the apprentice of the Godaime herself, assistant to the present leader of Konoha and yet if you ask anyone around here, I am nothing but your woman?"
It was Naruto who wrote the letter to the Dean a fortnight ago in which he failed to specify Sakura's title and role leading to the current misunderstanding. The moment they stepped into the city, the Dean simply laughed in Sakura's face when she opened her mouth and then he promptly asked Kakashi how much he paid for her.
Now here they are, dimplomacy in shambles, Naruto close to soiling himself and Genma and Neji are fidgeting, no doubt trying to calculate the odds and methods of protecting Kakashi from Sakura's fists. Probability must be low and the methods scarce, because his bodyguards (yes, the ones sworn to give their blood the very moment he is in the smallest danger) are slowly but surely slouching away. Oh well. Kakashi suspects the moment is now or never.
"Sakura" he says, very carefully. "I can clarify your position to any of these men before you decide to kill them with your bare hands."
Sakura's temper is legendary, and one of the few people who is able to calm her, is, indeed, Kakashi. Yet her face is still scarlet when she shots her answer back.
"And what is my actual position? When it comes to you?"
Kakashi shrugs his shoulder very elegantly, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"I can pose as your husband, for instance."
"What?" gapes Genma.
"What?" whispers Neji.
"Say again?" shouts Naruto.
"You what?" screeches Sakura. "Now you want to marry me for the sake of maintaining healthy diplomatic ties?
It comes as no surprise that she stomps her feet and next to them, the Dean's office crumbles and shakes. People are running out from the building and he thinks, this is not how I imagined this.
"Well" coughs Neji as Sakura starts marching towards them, face like lightning. "It was good to know you all."
"I am both terrified and aroused right now" Genma declares and Kakashi turns towards him. Genma has the audicity to grin. "Hatake, you lucky bastard."
"Yes" Kakashi says.
02.
The second time Hatake Kakashi proposes to Haruno Sakura, his spleen is outside his body and she is shouting again. Both of them are swimming in his blood.
"Marry me" he says with some saliva and blood on his lips. Sakura's face is chalkwhite, the hands that try to reapply his organs are shaking. She does not cry and she does not respond.
He repeats himself.
"He is going into shock, girl, let's hybernate and we can deal with him later." This is Anko's voice, coming from above him, like a vengeful goddess.
Two pair of arms clutch at his shoulder and he wonders how memorable will the proposal get if he vomits all over himself.
"Sasuke, I swear to all the gods if you don't let him go, I will kick your ass into a genjustsu spiral."
The hands do not release him.
"I said no!" it is a howl now, Sakura's voice. The anger kicks on her chakra flow and he feels like he is being sewn from the inside and out. But at least, the foreign coldness of another hand release him and he is back in her arms, steady and warm.
"Oh, Sakura, this is really cruel" Kakashi slurs. "Please, let's marry. Marry me. Right no-"
"Shush" she says and bends closer to his face. He smiles at the proximity even though consciousness flees from him, even though he suspects they might forget about it after this battle. He coughs some blood upon this thought. Right into her face. But Sakura must really love him, because she doesn't even flinch; just caresses his face with her other hand, not fully aware of the action.
"Kura" he whispers. "I mean it. Take me to your parents."
"You are an idiot" she says, full of emotion. Her voice is wavering, audible for just him. The curtain of her hair separates them from the others, from the war. She is his shield now; she has been his wall of safety for a longer time he can remember. "I am trying to keep you alive."
"Say yes" he breathes. "I am alive. Please, please - "
"Are you finished yet?" this is Sasuke's voice, bored beyond measure.
"Yes." breathes Sakura. "Yes, yes, yes."
03.
The third time Hatake Kakashi proposes to Haruno Sakura, they have been married for fifteen years. Kakashi has loved her since she was twenty.
"Is this what I think it is?" their oldest, Hanako, asks.
She is loud and disciplined like her mother, but her face is Kakashi's face; long silver hair and wistful bends of wide mouth and eyes tilting downwards, warm-dark. Top of the class, already an elite chunin, she is planning to join ANBU, despite her father's wishes.
When she finally unwraps her graduation present, her mouth goes 'oh'. It is a ticket to a caravan heading to Suna, a place she always wanted to visit. Her eyes tear up, passionate, and she embraces them fiercely, then runs towards her godmother - Ino - to tell the news.
Friends and people all around them mingle, in the garden Ino and her family has maintained for generations. Just behind Kakashi, there is a sweet-smelling mango tree.
"Kazue found your old scarf this morning" his wife tells him, eyes closed, breathing in the sunlight. "Wanted to put on right away, but I conviced her to wear something colorful today."
"Um" he says, and Sakura's eyes open, alarmed. "I caught her wrestling with Neji's daughter just ten minutes ago. In the puddle I left Pakkun in."
She just groans, and tilts her head; and it is the moment when Kakashi is surprised to find that Sakura's pink hair glints in this light, for she has some silver in her hair. As she grimaces, the laugh lines dance across her face, and suddenly, Kakashi is touched beyond measure. Time has slipped between them, and for better or worse, they chose and stood together.
"Yo" he says and Sakura looks up, already smirking her omnipotent smile. "Marry me?"
She laughs, all freckles and some crow's feet jumping around her eyes which he adores, and leans to catch his mouth in hers.
"Ugh" it is just a moment later, but they look up, dazed. Hanako's hands are on her hips and she is glaring. "Are you so adamant on embarassing me?"
Sakura and Kakashi lock their eyes and hands together.
"Yes" they chant. "Yes, yes."