A/N:
Happy New Year! It's the Year of the Dragon!
Just a few quick things!
1. I mentioned it before, but I will leave another warning: This story DOES have an underlying plot, so it isn't just a re-telling of The Proposal (2009). If you'd like to read an exact Kakasaku re-telling of The Proposal (2009) I would be happy to write it!
2. I would like to express my appreciation to all of you who have been reading this and leaving nice, polite comments. I know I'm not exactly a Pulitzer Nominee, so I really am grateful of everyone being kind and polite. It's fine if you don't like my writing or the story, I'm just high-key terrified of ppl being overtly mean. (Author is just a slug, small and defenseless). So if you have a criticism feel free to leave it, please just be kind.
3. I am going to try to write more frequently this year! I want you to know that I write, edit, re-write, and re-edit every single chapter, and I also try to write out the story well before hand, so that the plot is cohesive. So I'm going to try and crank out part 2 without making you all wait to long.'

4. This story is cross posted on AO3, in case you didn't know!

Thank you all, and many happy wishes for 2024!

The only thing keeping Sakura from losing her mind from having to be away from her home was that she got to sleep next to Kakashi.
Well, maybe it wasn't the only thing, she traveled all of the time after all, but it certainly helped.
Wednesday night, though tired to her very core, she had rolled over closer to him than she had before. In fact, she damn near snuggled right up against him. His body heat was exquisite pressed against her side or her back.
By Thursday night, she had been finding excuses to touch him, and going to sleep was an excellent excuse.
She liked it when he touched her. She liked it a lot. And she couldn't stop thinking about it. She wondered what he had made of her kissing his cheek the other night. Maybe he felt nothing.
She lay alone in bed, watching the dark ceiling and listening to the splashing of water from the bathroom where Kakashi was showering. She tried not to think too long about that fact.
Tomorrow night was the Infinite Dream Halloween Ball, and Tsunade promised after the event Sakura could return to her own home. Which undoubtedly meant returning to different beds. She was less excited than she expected and had no idea what to do with the feeling.
She heard the shower shut off, and the sounds of Kakashi stepping into the bathroom. Light leaked into the dark bedroom as he appeared with only a towel slung low around his waist, the light at his back hiding his uncovered face. His mask was held in one of his hands as he slipped across the floor towards his closet. He shut the light off, plunging them into darkness.
"Kakashi," Sakura said softly. He paused, and she could just barely make out the sight of him pulling his mask on. She sat up in bed, pushing the covers away and drawing herself up on to her knees.
She wasn't really thinking about what she was doing. She didn't feel real, in the dark of the room, city lights shining beyond the window. Blue light filtering through the glass illuminated the barest hints of Kakashi's features, his hair outlined in navy. His sculpted torso was uncovered, which wasn't a new sight, but it sent a thrill through her regardless. His muscles created a deep 'V' just above his towel. A few droplets of water clung to his skin, dripping into the hollows of his collar bones and running towards that V. Sakura wanted to lick them off of him. Sakura usually denied herself nothing.
He stepped up to the edge of the bed, leaning down towards her. He smelled of soap, but under it was his usual scent, leather and gunpowder and cold. Perhaps that was what his soul was composed of.
He looked heartbreakingly handsome in the dark, the same way he'd looked when he'd walked in on her bath. Heat pooled low inside her.
She frowned at him, torn.
He tipped his head to one side, his eyes questioning as they bounced between her frown and her eyes.
She did not want to think about the war of emotions raging through her chest. It was not a feeling she liked.
"What's up?" he asked, his voice low, eyes darkening as he looked at her.
She remained silent, hesitating. But the longer he kept looking at her like that, the more she melted.
Slowly, she brought her hands up between them, resting one on his hard chest while the other traveled up to the top of his mask. Her fingertips gently brushed along the line of fabric, testing. She felt his breath still under her palm.
"Sakura," his voice was a whisper, a plea. His breath slid over her fingers as he spoke. She froze, her fingertips hooked just under the mask. The air between them charged, goosebumps breaking across her skin. "Close your eyes," his voice was even lower, hardly a breath.
Sakura was surprised, but complied, her eyes drifting closed. A heartbeat passed.
She felt his hand come up to cover her own on his mask, felt him tug her hand down, dragging the mask with it. She held herself very still, afraid she might scare him off.
Her arms bent as he moved even closer to her, bending forward. She could sense his face, just an inch from hers.
With a softness that surprised her, she felt him brush his bare lips against hers. It was not the first time that they had kissed, but the tenderness with which he captured her lips suggested it might have been. It was the first time they had kissed without any ulterior motives.
He tasted her slowly, his lips searching. She responded in kind, her entire nervous system lightning up. She devoured the minty taste of him, the feeling of his lips, soft on hers. She wanted to touch him. And she wanted him to touch her. She slid her hand lower and around, resting it on his bare side.
He groaned, the sound like pain and restraint, and kissed her harder, one of his hands fisting the hair at the base of her neck, tipping her chin up at a different angle, for him to deepen the kiss. The sensation of him tugging on her hair caused a pulse of heat to run through her.
She dropped her hand from where it had been hovering by his neck, down to his chest, her sharp nails scraping his skin. A small noise escaped from her, and Kakashi's muscles tensed under her hands. He paused for a moment, going still over her.
He kissed her once more, then disappeared from her touch. She heard the fabric rustle as he pulled his mask back up, and disappointment bottomed out her stomach. She couldn't believe he could be so unaffected.
She opened her eyes to find him, sweatpants magically on, walking to his side of the bed. He slid under the blankets and lay on his side, facing her. "You should go to sleep," His eyes glowed in the dark, something like regret lining his face.
She deflated, air whooshing out of her lungs as she lay back down, rolling onto her side to face away from those smokey eyes. The bed shifted under her as Kakashi moved, sidling closer. One of his arms snaked over her waist, tugging her up against him. She didn't resist despite herself, relaxing into him.
Her eyes snapped open when she felt something large and hard pressing into her backside.
He wasn't as unaffected as he seemed. No, he had pulled back because he was losing control.
Sakura fell asleep with a smile on her face.

~
Music spilled from the front doors of Infinite Dream Corporation's skyscraper. Golden light washed the steps leading up to the grand building, some of the most powerful and influential people in the country flooding up them like migrating salmon. Costumes of every design covered the guests who were slowly making their way inside or pausing for cameras on the steps.
Reporters shouted questions at Sakura from behind ropes, clamoring for her attention. She smiled and waved, posed a few times, but didn't engage. If she spoke to one, they'd swarm her, and she wasn't in the mood to entertain the masses quite yet.
Thunder rumbled above them, the threat of rain pressing on the city.
Sasuke's brother, Itachi, was standing at the doors greeting guests as hired security. He was dressed as one of the vampires from Twilight, the Volturi 's Marcus. Sakura beamed at him as she approached, Kakashi by her side.
"Good evening, Sakura," Itachi bowed low to her, flourishing his cape dramatically behind him. She bowed back. "You look lovely," His eyes swept over her from head to toe, appreciative. Sakura blushed under her makeup, flattered by the attention of the handsome older man.
Tonight she was dressed as Belle, from the anime movie. Pink extensions brought her hair to below her butt, brushing over the red poppy dress she had commissioned from Chiyo. It was the dress Belle wore in the Millenium Parade. Red poppies were woven through her hair and hung above her eyes from multiple pins and clips. Her makeup was done exactly as the movie and had taken more than an hour.
It was so worth it for her to look as fabulous as she did.
Beside her, Kakashi's costume perfectly disguised him. He was The Dragon, in a deliberately torn cloak with a mask that covered his face, the hood of the cloak pulled up to hide his hair. The mask was an excellent rendering of the dragon's AI face, with a long, fanged snout that looked downright threatening. Seeing it did things to Sakura.
Kakashi stood silently beside her, watching from behind the mask that hid all of his features, including his eyes. He had insisted on no public appearances as her fiancé, but Sakura had worked around that. He was still acting as her guard, but he was moonlighting as her betrothed, in such a way that no one would recognize him.
When Sakura had explained her plan for his costume, he had looked pleased by her clever solution. She was going to have one of her guards be the Dragon anyway, but going about it like this allowed her to parade her fiancé publicly and still in disguise. Oh man, hiding him in plain sight really was great.
"Your date?" Itachi asked her, eye flicking over Kakashi.
"My fiancé," Sakura corrected him.
He laughed lightly and waved them on, into the lobby. Itachi was sometimes so different from his brother that it shocked her. His eyes saw everything and seemed a thousand years old, yet he remained jovial. Sakura took Kakashi's arm, and they entered together, warmth wrapping around them the moment they crossed the threshold. The inside was similar to Senju's, with vaulting ceilings and dazzling chandeliers, marble floors that screamed wealth.
They followed the velvet ropes to the ballroom, where the music swelled to just under a level too loud to talk. The massive space was filled with people in colorful outfits, chatting and dancing and drinking. Servers moved gracefully through the crowd, platters of h'orderves and glasses of champagne balanced in their hands. Tiers of balconies ascended above them, filled with chattering people. Laughter, shrieks, wealth, and chaos reigned here.
Ino and Tenten spotted Sakura before she saw them, rushing up from out of the mass of bodies. Ino was dressed as Cinderella, and TenTen as Princess Leia. Behind them, she could see Sai and Neji, costumed as Prince Charming and Han Solo, respectively.
"Look at you!" Ino squealed, grabbing Sakura's hand and spinning her around. Her dress fanned out as she spun, displaying her fabulous pink heels, which strapped nearly up to her knees. Sakura laughed, coming to a stop.
"Look at you!" She shot back, appreciating her friends' detailed and fun costumes. Both women looked incredible. Ino and TenTen preened, then inspected Kakashi, sly smiles on their faces.
TenTen snagged three champagne flutes as a server went by, handing one to Sakura and Ino each.
"Are we gonna dance?" TenTen asked excitedly. She glanced over her shoulder at Neji, who looked on cooly.
"I'm performing at 9…" Sakura reminded her. She sipped from her glass, delighted by the sweet bubbly drink.
Ino produced her phone from thin air and checked the time.
"It's only 8:00. Come on, let's go snag Hinata from Naruto," Ino replaced her phone and took Sakura's hand with her free one, tugging her into the crowd.
They pushed past actors and models, politicians, and CEOs until they reached a pillar where Hinata, Naruto, Temari, and Sasuke were congregated.
Hinata and Naruto were both dressed as Jedi, lightsabers hanging from clips at their belts. Naruto's arm was wrapped securely around her waist, possessive but not suffocating. Sasuke, looking bored as ever, was done up as a sith lord, contrasting his bandmate's lightness with dark. Apparently Star Wars was the move tonight.
It took Sakura several moments to figure out what Temari was dressed as. She was wearing leather and metal armor over a linen tunic and pants, a sword strapped to her back. Her hair was down for once. It wasn't until Sakura saw the leaf clip (which didn't even belong to her character) that Sakura realized she was Eowen from the Lord of the Rings.
"'I am no man,'" Sakura said to her, voice pitched to a register slightly lower than her normal one. Temari grinned ferally before taking a pull from a flask that was hidden inside her tunic. Her friend seemed distracted as Tenten asked the group again if they could dance. Temari's blue eyes flashed across the crowd every few seconds, looking for someone.
Sakura grinned knowingly while the other couples took to the floor, laughing and dancing. "You're not waiting for a particular publicist, are you?" she asked cattily, taking another sip from her glass.
Temari blushed but straightened her spine against her embarrassment. "Of course not." she said casually, tucking her hands into pockets. "Aren't you going to dance with your date?" She diverted when Sakura continued to look at her with a shit eating grin on her face.
"Ah…" She turned to look over her shoulder at Kakashi, but gleaned no information from him, as she couldn't read his expression. She was surprised to realize that she could have read it without his dragon mask, despite his half mask. Even if she were close enough to see his eyes through the Dragon mask. She'd begun to be able to decipher his micro expressions even without seeing his mouth. She pulled her phone from a smartly hidden pocket and checked the time. She didn't need to be back stage for a while.
"Maybe one dance?" She tilted her head at Kakashi, waiting. He had acted normally all day, after last night, not any more distant, but not any closer either. So, she let him decide.
Slowly, he lifted an ungloved hand out to her, an invitation. Sakura replaced her phone and tossed back the rest of her champagne, winking at Temari as she set the glass on a passing serving tray and slid her hand into his waiting one.
He tugged her into the dancing throng, found a spot, and turned back to face her. He pulled her flush to him, careful not to smack her in the face with his mask. He slid an arm around her waist and used the other to keep hold of her hand.
She followed his lead, placing her free hand around him, her chest flush to his. The music was a weird, medium paced beat, not the best for dancing, but Kakashi moved smoothly, comfortable regardless. He walked her through the steps of a simple waltz, unaffected by the crowd around them.
Sakura felt lightheaded despite her heavy extensions as he spun her around then pulled her back into his arms. He said nothing, his dancing speaking for him. He held her close, his posture telling anyone nearby that she was his. She beamed up at him, extremely pleased by the dance. She wished she could tell if he was smiling back.
The song ended too quickly, Kakashi releasing her. She was cold without him, but now wasn't the time to focus on that.
Sakura straightened her dress swiftly and led the way through the crowd, towards the stage.
Kakashi followed silently after her, a stalking shadow.
The stage at the back was set up like the stage of an old-fashioned theater, with fanciful velvet curtains draping the back, hiding the crew from sight. When Sakura reached the door that would let her back, security on either side, she waved Kakashi off, dismissing him.
"I'll be here for a while. You may as well go enjoy the party." He stayed quietly beside her, unmoving. "No one could possibly get in here and hurt me," She insisted, more sternly this time. However their relationship was evolving, she still didn't like having him helicopter-ing over her. After not moving for another beat, the snout of the mask dipped down in acquiescence, and Kakashi slipped back into the mass of people, disappearing with practiced ease. The man could make people look away from him with the same expertise that Sakura wielded to make people look at her.
Sakura pushed by the guards to the stage door and entered the crew area. People strode about, checking on equipment and moving lights. She was sure Naruto and Sasuke would be somewhere behind her.
She wasn't the only one performing tonight, she was just the opening act, so she wasn't surprised to see other Infinite artists hanging about, waiting. Karin's bandmates, Jugo and Suigetsu, were lounging by the refreshments table, laughing. Fortunately, the redhead was nowhere to be seen.
Taka wasn't the main act either, Sakura knew. The Infinite Dream Corporation had a new, mysterious band debuting tonight, as the height of the evening's entertainment. Sakura scanned the space, looking for this new talent everyone was so excited about.
Before she could find them, her eyes made contact with a dark pair watching her intently from beside the mixing table.
A smile spread over Madara's face, his eyes lighting up. "Sakura!" He lifted a hand in greeting from across the room.
He was dressed as some kind of warrior, red armor descending from his shoulders in plates.
"Director Uchiha," Sakura said, bowing her head to the CEO of the Infinite Dream Corporation. Another common last name in Konoha, but so far removed from her bandmate it didn't matter. The impressively large man was extremely powerful, his company far reaching in the world. However, it still wasn't quite as successful in the entertainment industry as Senju. Nor as influential.
Madara approached, each of his steps sure and confident. He clapped a hand on her shoulder, smiling down at her.
"I'm so glad you're here! I hope Tsunade isn't working you too hard," he said pleasantly, but Sakura could hear the ulterior motive. Madara had been trying to steal her from Senju for the last few months, to no avail. She knew The Infinite also wanted her bandmates, but they remained firm. Sakura didn't hold it against him. Like her, Madara wasn't a person used to hearing the word 'no', and FireDrive was an exceptionally hot commodity. She would want to poach them if she were him, too.
"She runs a tight ship, but I'm well taken care of." Sakura demurred, batting her eyelashes at the older man.
His dark brows drew down. "I hope so. I heard about the stalker breaking into your house. I'm so glad nothing happened!" Sakura frowned for a moment, confused, before she realized he was talking about the first break in, the one that had been in the news. The second attack was still a tight lipped matter and would stay that way if it killed Tsunade.
"I'm grateful for my guards. I'm glad Tsunade insisted on them," She gave him a tense smile. Though it was beginning to dawn on her just how true that statement was. Yes, she hated her privacy being invaded, but her security had kept her safe when it mattered the second time. "Who knew fanatics were so determined?" She sighed, exhausted just thinking about it. "I love my fans, but I want them to respect my boundaries."
He nodded sympathetically. "Of course you do. You poor thing," He pat her head affectionately. "I was just thinking about how you'll be a shoe-in for Artist of the Year at the end of next month." Was that bitterness Sakura detected? She couldn't tell, it was gone so fast. Madara glanced at his watch. "Ah! I've got to go give my welcome. Please, enjoy the party," He winked and was gone, leaving Sakura alone backstage.
Shortly afterwards, she heard Madara's voice boom through the speakers beyond the curtains, greeting his guests and cracking charming jokes. Oh, he was a dangerous man to women, with his good looks and charisma. Sakura was amazed he remained single.
She shook her head to herself, disbelieving. Well, marriage wasn't for everyone. Maybe he had a secret line of girlfriends, all adoring and beautiful. Maybe he preferred men, or maybe no one at all.
She heard her name announced, and quickly grabbed a handful of popcorn from the refreshments and chased it with another glass of champagne. She descended down a short set of stairs under the stage.
As she stood on the platform under the stage, a crew member attached her mic box and gave her her earpiece, readying her entrance. Everything had already been carefully sound checked, but she sang a testing scale anyway. Her earpiece repeated the sound in her ear with perfect clarity. She continued to warm up her voice as she waited.
The little flutter of nerves she always felt before a performance sloshed around with the champagne in her stomach. She took deep, careful breaths and focused on the steel beneath her feet, imagining the way it was anchored to the floor, and the way the floor was anchored to the earth. She had this.
"I've got this. I'm good at this. I'm gonna crush it." She muttered under her breath. It helped calm her involuntary fear to remind herself that she had done this a thousand times, and she was born for it. She dropped into the untouchable place inside of herself.
"Miss Haruno, it's time." The crew member whispered to her, eyes raised in expectation. She nodded, and the platform she was on began to rise. The stage opened above her, the noise of the ballroom flooding around her.
Sakura looked down for dramatic effect until the platform stopped, leveling with the stage. Her eyes flashed up to the crowd, spotlights nearly blinding her.
The music for 'U' had started a few seconds before she appeared, the instrumental intro swirling around her. Blinking the lights from her eyes, she grinned down at the crowd, who cheered at the sight of her.
She found her friends in the masses, all standing together and pumping their fists. She saw Minato and his wife off to stage left, eyes bright with excitement. Omoi, Darui, and Karui were standing in a cluster, watching raptly. She did not, however, see Kakashi, but there were so many faces and so many costumes, she assumed he was lost in the masses.
The music built, and Sakura took breaths designed to fill her lungs, to expand them for singing. She'd spent a summer once working with free divers, learning their techniques for lung capacity. She used those lessons every time she sang live, the pressure on to hit notes perfectly without the entire crowd hearing her panting.
She wet her lips and opened her mouth.

"Lalalai lalalai
When our heartbeats collide
I won't mind in a place we've never been before
I'm reaching out for the moon and the stars beyond it"

Sakura flung her arms wide to encompass the moon and the stars, reaching forward. She loved this song, had fallen in love with it when the movie came out. The notes and tune were such fun to sing, it made Sakura feel light.
She had to give credit to the voice actress and composers who had put the movie together.
She strode from one end of the stage to the other, putting on a show with all of her being. The elite or lay people, everyone enjoyed a good performance.
"Come one come all jump in to the fire," She gestured in a 'come on' motion in time with the lyrics.
The last time she'd sung live was for the anthem, but this was different. This was what she lived for. The lights, the song flowing forth from her, the crowd roaring approval. She was hot, sweat dripping down between her shoulder blades, but she sang and danced on. Cameras followed her every move, no doubt to be posted on the internet by tomorrow.
When the song ended, she called to the crowd, laughing. "Are we having fun?"
A wave of incomprehensible sound rushed at her, and she laughed again. "I think I'd like to join the fun," As she said it, she heard Naruto and Sasuke strut onto the stage behind her, a new cheer rising from the crowd. She did not care that her costume didn't match theirs.
She strode to one side and accepted her guitar from a crew member before taking center again, her boys around her.
Sasuke hit the first notes on his drums, pounding out a beat. Sakura strummed her fingers across her guitar strings, just testing before plunging head first into a song.
Sakura tumbled and soared through 4 of their most 'party' like songs, delighted to perform with her friends. The crowd danced and laughed below them, enjoying the festivities.
She didn't speak again between songs, just seamlessly moved from one to the next. She hit a particularly high note perfectly, and allowed herself a pleased smile.
She had been accused once, by an up and coming rocker, of lip syncing when she was in a bar. She'd poured her cocktail over his head in response, words too good of a response for the insult.
As the last notes sang out from Naruto's guitar, she gulped down water that had been left for her by one of the speakers. Replacing the bottle, she addressed the crowd again.
"I'll hand it over now to Taka," She bowed deeply, the hair extensions sliding over her back and clinging to her sweaty face. FireDrive had only been asked to kick off the night. She was more than happy to only do the small set, as she really did want to have fun with the rest of the party. She wanted to dance with Kakashi again.