Hallo!! This particular one-shot for Kakashi was requested by a friend of mine 8D I wrote it a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago--So long that I can't remember, actually XD Anyway, since I've posted it on Quizilla, it has been the most popular of my creations. Or at least, on that sight this is thw creation my readers tend to add to their favorites the most. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!!

.:A Lesson in Love:.

I don‛t know how I fell in love with Hatake Kakashi . . . You could sort of say that it just, happened. He‛s been my next door neighbor for probably about three years. But that was also when he started teaching seniors at my high school. Now, though I‛m one of his students and I know we aren‛t allowed to be together or whatever but, once you‛ve known the guy on a personal basis for a few years, how can it be possible not be a little more than just student and teacher?

Maybe I‛m getting a little ahead of myself here. First, my name is Rukia and my surname shall remain anonymous. My hair is a sort of dull grey and my green eyes aren‛t really full of much light, either. Apparently, my look isn‛t one many guys go after, since I have never really been on a date. Or maybe it was just because I‛m the school loner. I have few friends and they aren‛t all too close to me, though I can tell Hinata just about anything. Either way, I mainly keep my mind on my school work. Not that that‛s keeping me from failing science.

Coincidentally, that brings me back to my dilemma: Kakashi. Science just happened to be the subject he taught and I was doing a pitiful job working with microorganisms. I didn‛t really want my friends or anyone else to know that I was failing, so I requested that he tutor me privately after school. He agreed and I used community service hours as a cover up with my extra time at school around my friends, though Hinata of course new the truth.

Everything was going great, at first. When tutoring had started, I didn‛t really have such feelings for Kakashi, so there wasn‛t a problem. It wasn‛t until about a week into it that I felt anything new like it, and I did not recognize it, at first. See, along with the fact that boys tend to avoid me, it is rare that I find a crush. It is probably safe to say that, back then, I did not really know what love was.

.:X-00-X:.

So, here I am. Alone in the classroom with him after school and peering into the microscope every now and then as I sketched some diatons found in pond water from the Forest of Death. Kakashi was sitting on the other side of the desk, reading a book titled Make-Out Tactics. I always wondered what was in those books of his. He read them all of the time; during class, after class, during passing period . . . Sometimes, when I ended up knocking on his door, I would see the book in his hand as he answered it. It added to the mystery of him.

I had also always wondered why he wore a mask, too. Was he ashamed of how he looked? Did he have some sort of defect in his face that he didn‛t want the world to see? Or was he just one who loved to look mysterious?

Silently, I cursed to myself as the diaton I had been sketching had left its place and moved out of sight from the microscope to some other part of the slide. This was the part I really couldn‛t handle well, focusing and unfocusing the microscope to where it needed to be. After five minutes of failure, I cursed again, but this time, I must have caught Kakashi‛s attention. He reluctantly closed his book and asked, "Do you need help with that?"

Timidly, I drew back from the microscope and nodded without looking him in the eye. He stood from his seat and walked around the corner of his desk to occupy the available one next to me. His book was set down in front of me as he began to attempt focusing the microscope with his visible eye. Momentarily, he paused and removed his eyepatch, revealing a crimson eye with three commas surrounding the pupil. There was a scar running vertically through it.

"I see better with this eye," he explained. When he leaned back in to see into the microscope again, his arm pressed up against mine for the smallest of time frames, causing for some embarrassment on my part. My gaze left him once again and fell instead upon his book. What type of book was it? A romance? Some sort of ‛how-to‛? With the title Make-Out Tactics , it very well could be . . .

Curiosity getting the better of me, I picked up the book without Kakashi taking notice and opened it to a random page, beginning to read the text. Gradually, my eyes began to grow wider at the content in the Paperbacked Pages of Perviness before me; I couldn‛t seem to tear them away. In my mind, I was ordering myself to put the book back, before Kakashi noticed, but it was too late.

"What are you doing?"

Slowly, with saucer-like eyes, I turned to him and twitched. "I think my virgin mind has been scarred." I was finally able to close the book.

"Give it back!" He said with wide eyes.

For a moment, I considered following his directions as I studied the front cover, but instead, a sly grin crossed my lips as I stood and hid the book behind my back. "No."

Kakashi stood as well, coming to a full head taller than me and said sternly, "Rukia, as your teacher, I order you to give the book back."

Resisting the temptation to give in to a fit of giggles, I replied in the same fashion as before.

A mark of anger made its way to Kakashi‛s forehead as he reached behind me for the book. I kept it just out of his reach, giggling all the while. Each time he reached, I took a few steps back and to the side until I accidentally stepped on an untied shoelace and fell to my knees. I dropped the book as well, it landing beside me. Kakashi immediately crouched and voiced his concern.

"Are you okay?"

"O-of course. Just tripped, that‛s all." I reassured him with a smile, but didn‛t look at him until the last word was said. There was an odd look in his eyes and I realized that he and I were only within inches of each other. "Um . . . Er . . . maybe . . . maybe we should get . . . get back to . . ."

I never finished my sentence as Kakashi leaned in a kissed my forehead . . . and then my cheek, until he found my lips. I could hear the frantic beating of my heart all too loudly and I closed my eyes, feeling Kakashi‛s hand push my hair back behind my ear. It was the first time in which I was "kissing cloth", and yet even as it ended, I felt an odd remorse, as if wanting more. I opened my eyes and could only say, "Sensei . . .?" as he bowed his head and began to pull down his mask. His eyes were covered by his hair, but I could see his slightly amused smile.

"Close your eyes." he said.

"What?" I breathed as my eyes widened slightly and I felt a sort of flutter in my abdomen. The hand Kakashi had used to move my hair was now cradling the back of my head.

"Don‛t worry," his smile slightly widened and bared his teeth. "I don‛t bite."

I blinked, not completely sure. My eyes closed partially in hesitation; opening again before being closed fully. My heart drummed to a new tune as I anticipated what was to come next, and I felt his naked lips against mine for the first time.

Now, I have been kissed before -- if you were to count ones during Spin the Bottle or on dares -- but never like this. None had ever had such an effect over me like this one did. None had ever made me want to kiss back with such intensity. Never had I felt as if I would burst and melt at the same time.

Kakashi‛s other arm wrapped around my waste and pulled me into his hold and a deeper kiss as he moved from the crouch into a regular sitting position.

.:X-00-X:.

My most memorable Friday afternoon . . . but the deal was not sealed as of yet. Kakashi and I are not officially a "couple". In fact, we have neither seen nor spoken to each other since then and it‛s Sunday, now. Then again, that may be due to the fact that I had a huge assignment for English and I‛ve been inside my room mainly. I finished that assignment about an hour ago, but it was about 10:30 PM outside. Certainly too late to go knock on his door . . .

But I had to know.

I wasn‛t sure what to call what Kakashi and I did. Was it that mysterious entity I had heard so much about? The one that has bewildered and completed so many souls? Like in those soppy romance films? Was it really . . . love?

I was determined to find out.

.:X-00-X:.

Of course, that was a lot easier said than done. My parents were on a business trip and won‛t return until tomorrow night, so I didn‛t have to sneak out of the house or anything, but a strong wave of nerves hit me as I stood in front of his door on the doormat. Curiosity was killing me, but I couldn‛t summon the courage to knock.

Jeez, Rukia. How long have you been knocking on doors? I thought angrily to myself while raising my fist. Determined, I swallowed and hesitated for only a moment more before knocking twice, the sound reverberating to my ears in an otherwise soundless night. I began to pick at the hem of my sleeves and stared down. Footsteps and the opening of a few locks could be heard as Kakashi opened the door. For once, he was not carrying his book and, despite the late hour, he was still in daytime clothing.

"Rukia?"

"Please forgive me if I woke you, Sensei but . . . we need to talk." I managed to say, fidgeting all of the while. "Preferably, now."

He didn‛t say anything for a moment, taken aback somewhat. As I was still looking at the doormat, I couldn‛t be fully sure of his reaction. "Come in."

When he stepped aside, I stepped over the threshold into his living room and he closed the door behind me. He then led me to where the seating was, and we sat next to each other on the couch. He turned so that he was facing me and I was staring at the coffee table before me. An awkward silence filled the space between us until Kakashi broke it.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" He asked, though I could tell from his voice that he probably already knew what was to come.

I swallowed, not sure where to begin or what to say, though I managed to utter one word. "Us," that seemed good enough. "What exactly are we? Is there even an ‛us‛?"

He sighed. "I was afraid it would be something like that."

My gaze left the table and momentarily met his as I voice an inquiry.

"Rukia . . . A relationship between a student and a teacher can only be just that -- student and teacher. Anything more and I could get fired from my job and possibly arrested. Your parents may not be too pleased with it, either." He replied, though from the look in his eye, it seemed more like a reminder to himself than a lecture to me.

"But --"

"Rukia."

Angrily, I whipped around so that I was facing him and looked directly into both of his eyes. Frustration dripped into my voice as I said, "But it‛s only a seven year difference! And in a few weeks I‛ll be eighteen and it will be completely legal, right? And no one has to know -- Why couldn‛t it happen?!" My voice rose partially.

"And what about Friday, huh?! What the heck was that supposed to be?!"

He studied me carefully, in no hurry to answer. "That . . . That shouldn‛t have happened.. I just got a little . . . carried away."

"But it did! So what now?! You want me to act like, like I don‛t have feelings for you?!" I was probably yelling by now, and anyone who would happen to be outside could probably hear my cries, but that didn‛t matter. I just wanted him to understand. "Well I can‛t do that!" I wiped my eyes and tried regain control back of my emotions.

". . ."

"You are the first and only one who makes me feel this way and I don‛t want to lose it. Even if that makes me selfish . . . And you can‛t say that you don‛t want the same, or else you wouldn‛t have gotten ‛carried away‛. I want to know if what I feel is what I think it is. I think . . . I think I might be in love with you . . ."

Kakashi stared at me as I stared at him, unblinking through the pregnant pause that followed. I moved so that I was on my knees and using my arms to support me as I hovered. Kakashi seemed to be thinking hard, a raging battle of ethics going through his mind. "You‛re so young . . ."

I moved closer and used one of my hands to begin pulling down his mask, but he covered my hand with his in an attempt to stop me. "Many have said that I‛m mature for my age." I replied both to his voiced and silent argument.

"It would be wrong." He pointed out as I leaned in. For some reason, he made no move to stop me.

"But that‛s what would make it so right." I whispered just before our lips would impact.

Then, I kissed him. Sweet and tentative as I had only done so once before. It seemed like forever until I finally released the kiss, and I felt a little buzz in the back of my skull, sort of like a sugar rush, and at the same time, my mind was clouded, as if drunk. I said in a soft voice, "I may not know exactly what love is, Sensei . . . But, I want it to be you who teaches me."

Now was when I opened my eyes and was caught by his gaze. He seemed almost . . . thoughtful. With a sigh, he looked away. "You realize it will have to be kept a secret, right? No one can know?"

"Yes."

"It has to be kept a secret until after your birthday, okay?."

A little annoyed that he was speaking to me as though I was a small child, I said in a child-like voice. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei, I promise to be a good little girl and not be a tattle-tale." My voice returned to normal. "Satisfied?"

He chuckled, "Not quite," and kissed me once more.

.:X-00-X:.

And that‛s how it happened. Not necessarily the falling in love part, but it was the unconventional way in which we became a couple. When our romance was revealed the day following my eighteenth birthday, some were a little shocked and didn‛t understand and my parents grounded me for a month because of how much they didn‛t approve. It‛s been about a year, now and I think they‛ve finally accepted it. Even my parents, I think. They still won‛t leave us alone long enough to be sure, though.

But it is with Kakashi that I am learning what love is. There‛s no way to really explain it, actually. I think that love will always be a mysterious entity, even to those who have felt it. There‛s no one way to really categorize it, or put some sort of label and I think it would be stupid to put one on since it‛s different for everyone. Unrequited love, puppy love; secret love. So many kinds, how could love possibly be explained in one word? I think of this with slight chuckle as I remember how, when I have confided this on others, they would always ask, "What sort of love do you think yours is?"

And I always answer, "Mine, I think . . . is a lesson."

End of a Lesson in Love

Thanks for reading!! Review?? -please-