I think I actually forgot how to breathe, think, move and speak all at the same time. I probably looked pretty stupid just standing there with my mouth open, blinking unseeingly. I finally remembered how to do all those things when I ran out of air and my brain rebooted in order to force me to take a breath.
"What?"
"I want you to marry me," Kakashi repeated seriously, digging a hand into his pocket. When he pulled it out and opened his fist, there was a ring sat on his palm. It wasn't particularly sparkly or flashy, and it didn't seem as if it were that expensive. It was plain silver with a symbol carved into it, a sort of hatched diamond. After a moment of not comprehending anything at all, I recognised it as the Hatake clan symbol.
"You really want to marry... me?" I checked.
"Yeah, but... if you don't want to..." Kakashi glanced down at the ground.
"No, I do!" I interjected. "That's why I can't quite believe it."
"You do?" Kakashi repeated. "You... you'll actually marry me?"
"Yeah, I... yes."
There was a moment of awkward silence as we both took in what had just happened. It took a lot longer than you'd think for me to actually realise that I'd just got engaged to Kakashi. When that finally dawned on me, I genuinely feared that I might drop dead of happiness.
"Well, uh... this is yours." Kakashi handed me the ring. "It belonged to my mom. My dad gave it to her when they got engaged, and his dad gave it to his mom when they got engaged, and his dad gave it to his mom with they got engaged, and... I think you get the picture." Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.
The ring sat in my palm, and I stared at it as if it were the most precious thing on this planet. It was, really. "And now you're giving it to me," I whispered.
"Yeah." Kakashi's eyes followed my hands as I slipped the ring onto my finger. I glanced up at him.
"I don't really know how this works."
"And you think I do?" Kakashi's eyes softened into a smile.
"No." I smiled too, because Kakashi's smile was contagious. "I'm just warning you that I'm totally winging this."
"So am I," Kakashi assured me.
"Well, what next?" I asked.
"In the books, this is normally the point where I walk you home and kiss you goodnight," Kakashi said, taking my hands in his and pulling me in a little closer to him. "But it's not really that late. We could do something else."
"Really?" I murmured. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, it's been a while since I beat you," Kakashi suggested.
"Not long enough." I frowned.
Kakashi laughed. "That's fine. I wasn't thinking of that anyway."
"So what were you thinking?"
"Just something here, something there," Kakashi said vaguely, pulling his mask down.
"I feel like I shouldn't be trusting my night to someone who reads Icha Icha," I said.
"That's all a matter of perspective," Kakashi whispered, and then we were kissing, and the whole world disappeared and we were the only people in anywhere, and it was beautiful.
"Kami, I love you," I breathed the moment we pulled away.
"I suppose Kami's cool, but when have you ever been this close to her?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
I fought hard to hold back laughter, but it didn't go very well. "You know what I meant."
"I know." Kakashi grinned, then pulled his mask back over his face. He reached up to take his torch down from the tree branch, but I got there first, letting it fall right into my hand using my Kekkei Genkai.
"What're the magic words?" I asked teasingly when he held out his hand for it.
"Please?" he tried.
"Magic words, plural."
"Pretty please?"
"Let me give you a clue," I said, holding the torch behind my back, although I knew very well that I barely stood a chance if it got physical. "There are three."
"I love you," Kakashi said calmly.
"Thank you." I dropped the torch into his outstretched hand. He clicked it on and took my hand, and we commenced a pleasant walk back to my house, although it was admittedly short. It was the first time I had wished I lived a little further from the lake.
"Here is your mansion," Kakashi said, and my mind flew back two years to my nineteenth birthday when he had walked me home from the same lake and said the same thing.
"That feels like it was an eternity ago," I murmured.
"Yeah," Kakashi agreed. "Back then, I didn't do this."
I turned to ask him what 'this' was, but I was stopped by his lips on mine, moving softly against each other.
"Kami, I love you too," Kakashi murmured against my lips, imitating me.
"This is bullying," I complained.
"No, it's not," Kakashi said. "I will see you in the morning."
I stepped in through the front door and started to close it, but hovered with it half open, looking right at Kakashi. He raised an eyebrow, then started to laugh, and I started to laugh too.
"Goodnight, Kashi," I whispered, and shut the door.
The moment the lock clicked shut, I turned and slumped down to the floor, leaning against the door and rested my head in my hands. I just got engaged to Kakashi. I was going to get married to him. My dad's joke about 'Miyoshi Hatake' would actually be a reality.
I let my hands slide down so they covered my mouth, and screamed into my palms. I had to tell someone, and I certainly would not be sleeping tonight.
I picked up the phone and called the person I knew would be awake and willing to hear some gossip. It rang a couple of times, then:
"Hello?"
"Kurenai I have amazing news!" I said down the receiver.
"You're pregnant!"
I wanted to face palm. Kurenai was silent for a moment too, then said, "you're not pregnant?"
"No, Kurenai, I'm not pregnant." I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but laugh a little. "Why was that your first instinct? Do you have something you want to tell me?"
"No!" Kurenai said defensively. "I just thought... never mind."
"Alright, whatever. You still need to guess what my news is."
"You're engaged!"
"How did you guess so quickly?" I asked incredulously. Kurenai laughed.
"I just started at pregnant and worked my way down. You're actually engaged? To Kakashi?"
"Who else?" I grinned.
"Seriously? Did he get down on one knee, because I really can't see him doing that."
"No, not exactly." I recounted the story of how it had happened, and by the time I was finished, we were both freaking out.
"And he gave you his family ring?" Kurenai exclaimed.
"Yeah. I've got it right here."
"On your ring finger?"
"Yes on my ring finger, where else would it be?"
"I don't know! Aw, I wanna come over and see now."
"It's too late now." I rolled my eyes. Kurenai and I had been on the phone for nearly an hour, and I probably had to go to bed soon. "Maybe tomorrow."
"Fine. Can I tell Asuma?"
I paused, considering. "I guess you can tell Asuma, but just him. I want to tell everyone else myself."
"Alright. Sleep well, Mrs Hatake," Kurenai said half-jokingly.
I laughed. "You too. Night."
"Night."