A/N: I realize I haven't updated RoR in quite a while, so here's a little apology present. This has been sitting on my zip drive for a while, and I figured I'd share. Enjoy!

Synopsis: Kakashi has an issue with the 'L' word. Then he becomes friends with Iruka.
Pairing: KakashixIruka
Genre: Friendship/Romance

"I love you."

At first, Kakashi shied away. He'd adjust his mask and stick his hands in his pockets, staring straight ahead and refusing to reply. He wouldn't say it, couldn't say it. Everyone he loved ended up leaving him. His withdrawal would hurt his companions, enough that silence would fall between them and last for the duration of their remaining time together. If his companion didn't dump him at the end of the date, he would valiantly try to repair what damage his silent rejection had caused, but usually those three little words were repeated and Kakashi would react the same way. Relationships never lasted long with the Copy-Nin, and he couldn't bring himself to care enough to actively pursue anybody.

Then he met Umino Iruka.

The academy teacher was way more interested in teaching Konoha's youth than in a romantic relationship. Pre-genin and even his newly graduated ex-students were his life. Almost every second of his spare time was spent with Naruto. Kakashi overlooked the chuunin many times, barely looking at him when he dropped by during training to give the team some lunch, or in the mission room while Kakashi dropped off a mission report. Iruka was just another face, just another name. Kakashi had more pressing issues to worry about. Namely, the men and women of Konoha who just wanted to date the Copy-Nin, who didn't care much for Kakashi himself.

But that all changed one day after a particularly nasty mission. Team 7 was in the hospital, sitting silently beside the bed of one jounin. Kakashi had been brutally injured while protecting his students, and hadn't yet recovered. At that time, he was dozing, too doped up on drugs to suddenly attack if anyone made a sudden movement. Iruka had entered the room, smiling warmly at the three genin before turning a worried gaze to Kakashi's still form. The sound of his voice dragged Kakashi into consciousness, and he opened one eye –his right one- to find himself staring straight into the brownest eyes he'd ever seen. He said something; what it was, he didn't remember. But Iruka's eyes widened and Naruto shouted something in pure shock. That didn't matter. What mattered was the sudden blush that spread across the chuunin's face.

A week later, Iruka visited again. By then, Kakashi was off of the drugs and on guard… or so he'd claim. When the teacher entered, the Copy-Nin had his nose buried in Icha Icha Violence, and actually did the Kakashi equivalent of a flinch when Iruka spoke (in other words, he blinked). Kakashi remembers that day like it was yesterday. Iruka had brought food, stating that Kakashi must be tired of hospital food. The jounin was touched; even Naruto, who always complained about hospital food, hadn't brought by ramen.

The two had talked for hours, with Iruka's ace politely turned away so Kakashi could eat slowly and savor the food. Kakashi came to appreciate the teacher for what he did to help the village, because, honestly, he could never have dealt with 20+ pre-genin at the same time, all day, every day. Iruka gave him a chance to talk about general jounin life, what missions he'd gone on (and wanted to talk about), and Team 7's training. They talked about Naruto for a long time, sharing stories of the boy's antics. Kakashi focused on the jinchuuriki's rivalry with Uchiha Sasuke, while Iruka went on about the boy himself.

They became quite close after a few days' worth of those talks. Even after Kakashi was released from the hospital, they still met up just to talk about their days at their respective jobs. Kakashi stopped accepting dates, and started actually inviting Iruka to his house for lunch or dinner. Iruka began including Kakashi in his time with Naruto. Under Iruka's watchful eye, Kakashi got closer to the boy and changed his training regimen to suit each of his students' strengths and weaknesses. Dare he say it? Iruka was changing him for the better.

Their excessive time spent together didn't go unnoticed by their colleagues. Gai would show up unannounced when Kakashi invited Iruka to his apartment and start giving a long, flowery speech about the 'Summer of Love' and the 'Roses of Affection' that his 'Lovestruck Rival' had recently come into. Iruka would laugh off any apologies Kakashi tried to make, but they did stop going to the jounin's place for a while afterward.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

While at Iruka's apartment after a good meal, the men were sitting on the couch and just enjoying each other's company. Kakashi had long ago started pulling down his mask while in Iruka's presence, so he was slouched down with his book and a cup of tea. Iruka was grading papers, a majority of the stack on the table and only a few still in his hands. It was getting late, and Kakashi figured he'd leave soon so the teacher could get to sleep. He put down his book and stood to take his now-empty cup into the kitchen, and Iruka barely glanced up. Kakashi mentioned how he couldn't imagine life without the chuunin, and it wasn't until he returned from the kitchen did he realize that Iruka had graded the last paper and was just staring at it.

Kakashi worried. What had he missed? What was wrong with the chuunin that he now considered his closest friend besides Gai? He said the younger man's name, and Iruka looked up, dimly surprised. Seeing that blank expression on the teacher's face threw the Copy-Nin for a loop, and he spoke the question on his mind with a good deal of concern evident in his voice. Iruka's quick denial of anything troubling him just fueled the jounin's concern, but Kakashi accepted the answer and took his leave.

He didn't see Iruka much after that.

Life as a jounin sensei was more hectic that any of them would care to admit. The Chuunin Exams were fast approaching, and Kakashi's time was filled with training his students, organizing a training regimen for them, and making sure they realized how serious the Exam was. Iruka often approached him in the street, but Kakashi always had to refuse any plans the chuunin thought up; however, he always apologized and promised to treat Iruka to dinner once the Exams were over. Even Gai's challenges were turned down. Kakashi simply didn't have the time for social outings.

Then, help arrived. The Toad Sage, Jiraiya, appeared in the village, and his teammate Tsunade arrived soon after. Kakashi saw his chance, and split up his team; Naruto was placed in Jiraiya's care, due to his status as Konoha's jinchuuriki and his heritage, and Sakura was sent to Tsunade because of her excellent chakra control and desire to be a medic. Kakashi himself kept Sasuke, teaching him more about the Sharingan and even allowing him to learn Chidori.

A week after the split, Kakashi found himself dragged into a dark alleyway by a furious Iruka. The enraged chuunin demanded to know why Kakashi had given up on Naruto and Sakura. It took until the academy sensei was gasping for air after his ran before Kakashi could explain his reasoning. Afterward, he gathered Team 7 at Training Ground 3 and explained it to them, too, and hoped he hadn't made them feel like he was favoring Sasuke or abandoning Naruto and Sakura. Apparently, he hadn't made them understand that being split up was the best he could do for them.

The next day, Kakashi invited Iruka over for dinner, true to his promise. The duo fell back into familiar banter as though they hadn't been apart for the better part of 3 months, and soon conversation turned to the Chuunin Exams. The teacher was understandably worried about his former students, but Kakashi assured him that the genin would be fine. When Iruka's worries kept him distracted for the rest of dinner, Kakashi knew he had to distract the younger man from his musings. He waited until dinner was over and they were both at the kitchen sink, washing the dishes, before he made his move.

Iruka found himself with a face full of bubbles, and blinked slowly at the grinning face of his friend. The chuunin wiped the mass of white foam from his face slowly and looked at it blankly, looking between it and Kakashi. Finally, before the jounin even knew what happened, Iruka's hand flashed forward and shoved the bubbles into the Copy-Nin's face. At first, Kakashi gaped. Then, he smirked. It was war.

By the time their battle was over, the kitchen was covered in bubbles and both men had collapsed on the ground from laughing so hard. Kakashi found his head in Iruka's lap, looking up at the chuunin's flushed and smiling face, and he moved without thinking, leaning up with his weight on his hands, pressing his lips to Iruka's in a soft kiss. At first, the chuunin didn't react, and Kakashi pulled back, frowning in worry.

That's when Iruka bent his head to capture Kakashi's lips in a kiss of his own.

Things moved quickly. Within minutes, Kakashi had switched their positions, pulling Iruka into his lap and tangling a pale hand in his soft brown hair. There was something… different about kissing Iruka, something that he hadn't experienced before with anyone else. Could this be…?

It came as no surprise to Konoha when Hatake Kakashi was seen holding hands with a certain chuunin in the street. Gai didn't even bat an eyelash when he dropped by his Eternal Rival's apartment to find them cuddling on the couch. Genma and Raidou ignored them when Kakashi brought little gifts back from missions for Iruka. The Third Hokage said nothing as long as Iruka didn't pick up Kakashi's habit of being late. The only time their relationship raised an eyebrow was when Kakashi left on missions.

"Be careful, Kakashi."

"I love you, too."