Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.

A/N: Companion piece to I Was Lost on the Road of Love, which was written for the kakairu lj comm 100 Ways to Fall in Love challenge. Enjoy!

"I think he may be in love with me, but you know how these things turn out. Or how they don't turn out or whatever. You know what I mean."

A soft wind curled against his cheek and he took that as assent.

"It's just that sometimes he gets this look in his eyes.

Not that one, you pervert. I'm so misunderstood.

He looks at me like you looked at Rin I suppose. Like he's looking at something precious and fragile and beautiful. But I'm none of those things. I'm not. I'm socially inept and smell like wet dog and talk to dead people.

Right, sorry. That was tactless of me. I meant to say the physically departed.

It makes me wonder what will happen when he realizes that I'm just this crazy Jounin. Just me. And if I'm just me, then what is there to love?

Yeah, I know. I should suck it up and stop whining to you. I do want him to love me though. That sounds sad and pathetic but it's the truth. I want him to love me, because I think I may be in love with him too.

If you say I told you so I'll tell Rin to kick your ass. I'm going to be late for our date. What do you think would be a suitable excuse?

I used the penguin one before. Guess I'll just come up with something along the way then. Later."

--

"... and his timer was broken so I had to remind him to turn over every five minutes to ensure an even tan."

Iruka blinked.

The lack of the usual arched eyebrow worried him a little.

"Come now, Iruka. Don't be mad. I'll make it up to you tonight."

The tenuous silence continued and Kakashi knew that this was it. Iruka would tell him to take his half-baked excuses and kindly stick them somewhere very unpleasant, because he had too many badly written essays to grade and not enough time to deal with bat shit insane Jounins.

"That must've been traumatic. I don't see why you had to share the pain by describing just how tight his trunks were in such excruciating detail though. Just for that, you're paying for dinner."

Then Iruka smiled, and had that look in his eyes and Kakashi knew right then, that everything would be alright. Because Iruka knew he was socially inept and smelled like wet dog and talked to the physically departed. 



Iruka knew, and loved him anyway.



A/N: My fics always end up vaguely schizophrenic. It's a curse.