I'm back home.

This is probably why I'm updating so much.

Anyway, here's another part.

Please leave a review and enjoy.

"If this is a crush, then I don't know if I could take the real thing if it happens." -Unknown

There was an intense thirty-second silence and then I busted out laughing. "That was a good one Hikaru!" I continued to laugh for another thirty seconds but Hikaru stayed dead silent.

"Kid, I'm dead serious. What if Kakashi does like you more than a friend… or whatever the hell you two are."

I turned off the cigarette and shook my head, "Nah, Kakashi could do way better than me."

Hikaru laughed, "No offense Hisako but I highly doubt that. Sure… maybe looks wise he can but his social skills drag him waaaay down."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, let's just say you and Kakashi are completely oblivious to everything that happens around both of you… relationship wise. He probably likes you… but doesn't really know it yet..."

I scratched my head and tried to make sense of what he just tried to explain. "Sorry but you make no sense. Explain your reasoning."

Hikaru sighed and began to take another cigarette out of his pack. "Fine, fine but I'm gonna need another cigarette for this."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in front of my stomach.

He closed his eyes, lit the cigarette, and took his first drag. "Some people are different than others." Smoke came out as he spoke but he still had to exhale the rest. "They just don't "ask" other people out on dates."

Hikaru took another drag but let this one rest a bit longer in his lungs. "They find people interesting for whatever reason and just being around that person for a whole day is sort of like a date." He opened his eyes and slowly exhaled

"Well we hang around each other all day sometimes… Does that mean we're dating?"

Hikaru snorted. "Pfft. No. We're friends and that has been established between us about.. oh I don't know... nine years ago! With people that lack social skills, everything is different."

He took a quick drag and continued, "I mean, they go out of their way to do something that they don't usually do for people. That's got to mean something…"

He exhaled the little that was left and cleared his throat. "More than friends wise that is." He paused for a second and shifted his attention toward the ground. "I mean, Kakashi's got friends... I think... I don't know..." He paused again and then nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure he's got friends."

"Anyway, I don't think he goes out of his way to spend a whole day with them." He took a deep drag from his cigarette and held it in for what seemed like an eternity.

Honestly it was starting to bug me a bit.

Hikaru slowly exhaled and he asked, "Do you get what I mean?"

No, actually I really don't.

I reluctantly smiled. "Umm… sure."

Hikaru sighed, "Don't you 'um… sure me'. You can't trick me kid. If you don't believe me, just say it."

I stand up and begin to dust my clothes off. "Fine Hikaru, I don't believe you."

Hikaru immediately stood up as if to answer some kind of unspoken challenge I just subconsciously began as I stood up.

"Personally," I continued as I limped closer in order to face him. "I think you just over analyze everything. This isn't a mission, you don't have to over analyze everything."

Hikaru and I are exactly the same height so we were looking at each other dead in the eye. Ladies and gentlemen, this is officially a Hisako-Hikaru stand off. Place all bets now!

He glared at me and took the last hit off of his cigarette. "Fine Hisako." He blew the cigarette smoke in my face and continued, "Since you are questioning my impeccable reasoning, I will analyze your situation in person."

My eyes were watering but I didn't look away.

He smiled one of his crazy diabolical smiles and said, "Let's go find Kakashi and evaluate your situation."

My heart practically stopped.

Kill me now.

Hikaru turned off the cigarette with the tip of his fingers and flicked it on the ground. I was too dumbfounded to realize what his master plan was. He grabbed my hand and began to pull me away from memorial stone.

"Wait, wait," my voice cracked, "Right now?"

He didn't stop; instead he walked faster. "Sure, I've got nothing better to do."

My stomach began to twist and turn while my knees were beginning to grow weaker and weaker with every step we took away from memorial stone. "Wait, wait, how do you know where he's at? Kiyoshi told me he wasn't coming back 'till later on this week."

Unfortunately Hikaru wasn't falling for my attempts to stall him. He kept on dragging me farther and farther away from memorial stone as he spoke, "Well he's obviously in town since I just saw him a couple of hours ago. He told me he just came back from a mission. There is no way he would be sent to another one so soon."

Hikaru was practically dragging me to our destination because I could hardly keep up him. "Come on kid, faster."

"I fucking can't Hikaru!" I growled and literally stopped walking. Unfortunately that didn't stop him. He literally dragged me for a couple of meters until I yelled up from the ground, "Hikaru, stop! Why in the hell do you care so much?"

He finally stopped and sighed, "Because nothing this good and exciting has happened in your life since the chunin exams when Arashi asked you out. Also because you are questioning my judgment!"

I growled. "This isn't funny Hikaru!"

"Then let's make it funny," he pulls me up from the ground, puts both of his hands on my shoulders and looks me dead in the eye. "If I'm wrong and Kakashi doesn't like you, I'll quit smoking. Forever."

My mouth dropped open. No fucking way… Hikaru, give up cigarettes?

"But… why?"

Hikaru smiled and shrugged, "It'll make things interesting."

I pursed my lips and squinted my eyes a bit. "Okay… but what if you're right?"

He grinned and petted my hair. "Well dear little Hisako, if I am correct, which I am one-hundred and thirty percent sure I am, then you must ask Kakashi out on a date."

I gulped. My knees began to shake and my stomach was twisting around in a million little knots. "You've got to be kidding me!"

He smiled, "Well you're so sure he doesn't like you so you have nothing to worry about," Hikaru stretches out his hand and continues, "Do we have a bet?"

For some reason my gut was screaming "No! No!" but my mind was whispering, "Do it! Do it! Don't be such a giiiirl!" If this were a mission, I would trust my gut and go with intuition… but this isn't a mission.

I shook Hikaru's hand and shot him a bittersweet smile. "Fine Hikaru, it's on."

Hikaru squeezed my hand and chuckled, "Finally, Hisako has grown her balls back."

I let go of his hand and punched the same shoulder I punched a couple of minutes ago. "I never lost them you douche bag."

He flinched and rubbed his arm. "I'm starting to get a bruise… why must you be so violent? Can't you see I'm delicate!"

I stuck my tongue out and began to walk. "It's what you get for being a douche bag."

"It's what you get for being a douche bag," Hikaru mimicked as he caught up with me.

I glared at him. "Do you want another one Hikaru?"

He put his arms up in self-defense and quickly said, "Nah, I think I'm good for the next year or so."

I laughed, limped closer to him, and put my arm around his waist. "Aww… my poor Hikaruuuuuu."

He whimpered and put his arm around my shoulders. "Yes, have pity on your poor Hikaru. He's cold, tired, hungry… and he wants a cigarette so bad."

I laughed, "You're hooked!"

Hikaru snorts, "I've been hooked, sweetheart."

Before I could retort, I sensed another presence walking toward us.

Please not Kakashi. Please not Kakashi. Please, please, please let it not be Kakashi!

To my dismay, it didn't take long for Kakashi's tall lanky body to come into focus. Every second we got closer to the silver haired man whose nose was buried in Make-out Paradise, my heart pounded faster and faster with adrenaline. Is it sad that I had never had this kind of adrenaline during a mission?

I looked up at Hikaru but he merely grinned at me and whispered, "Welcome to the beginning of the rest of your life…"

His prediction dumbfounded me. "Hikaru, what…"

"Hey Kakashi!"

I looked away from Hikaru's grinning face and was reluctant to find Kakashi right in front of us. My stomach churned and the butterflies woke up after five years of hibernation.

"Yo." He closed his newly ruined copy of Make-out Paradise in order to give us his full attention. He looked at Hikaru with his one lazy eye and then slowly turned his focus on me. Kakashi smiled and I could feel my knees start to shake.

I felt as though Hikaru's arm was the only thing holding me up. Reluctantly smiled back and said, "Hi, it's been while." Instantly I regretted saying that. It makes me sound like I was waiting for him to come back. I slowly removed my arm from Kiyoshi's waist and tried to keep my knees from shaking.

I think Hikaru could tell I was starting to get nervous because he immediately tried to get Kakashi to focus on him. "So what are you up to tonight? I thought you would be resting up since your C-rank mission turned out to be a bit more intense than expected."

I silently began to beg. Please don't let him say he was headed to the shop, please don't let him say he was headed toward the shop, please, please!

His gaze moved from my face to Hikaru's arm around my shoulders. "Unfortunately a copy of my book was damaged during this past mission and I lost a couple of pages… so I was headed toward Hisako's bookstore for a new copy…" He put his hands in his pockets and smiled again, "and possibly another book…"

My stomach dropped and I looked at Hikaru from the corner of my eyes. He gave me an I-told-you-so look and quickly looked back at Kakashi.

"I know it's a bit late but since I am, according to Hisako, her favorite customer I thought she would be willing to make an exception."

Hikaru smirked, "Oh really?" He looked at me, then at Kakashi, and removed his arm from my shoulders. "I did not know that."

Moments like these make me wish the ground could just swallow me whole… or better yet, why can't there be a random shinobi war which starts right this moment where everyone can forget this whole situation ever happened? … Actually I prefer to be struck by lightening. That sounds like a good plan… it's too bad I can't command the weather.

Before Kakashi or I could say anything Hikaru sighed, "Well, I need to go pay a visit to the parents…" He took a couple of steps toward Kakashi and continued, "Kakashi, since you're on your way over there, can you walk Hisako home?"

It was a real struggle to keep my mouth from dropping when Hikaru said that. I was to nervous to say or do anything but I really wanted to kick Hikaru's ass and drag him back here.

Before Kakashi could say anything, Hikaru began to slowly walk away , "Alright then! I'll see you two crazy kids later…" He walked off toward the path Kakashi had taken toward us and disappeared into the night like the crazy freak he is.

Die Hikaru, just die now.

When Hikaru left there was an awkward silence between Kakashi and me. Instead of thinking of something witty to say, I was concentrating on keeping my legs from turning into jelly and breaking down on me.

Kakashi looked back at the path Hikaru took and scratched the crazy silver poof everyone calls hair. "Well that was… interesting to say the least."

I reluctantly laughed, bit my lip, and started to fiddle around with my mousy brown hair. "Well that's Hikaru for you…"

He slouched over a bit and looked up at the sky, "I guess you're right…"

I let go of my hair and started to sway back and forth subconsciously. "So… were you really going over to the shop… just to get a book?"

Was that a bit too straight forward? Maybe I just stop questioning everything and just go with the flow. I don't know… but is it sad that I am secretly hoping he says no?

"Well yes… and no."

The butterflies in my stomach began to flutter faster. Stupid nerves… why I am even nervous? It's just regular, pervy Kakashi who used to get me in trouble with Kiyoshi. He's the same old person who would stop our so called shenanigans and give us community service for our rebel ways… Okay, now I'm just coming up with random excuses for being nervous.

I was about to ask him what he meant when Kakashi said, "Do you want to go get something to drink?"

I was left dumbfounded. Did he just ask me to do something with him that has absolutely nothing to do with the bookstore?

"Um… sure, why not?"

Wait, does this count as a date?