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"Kaa-san?" Came to shy little voice of eight year old Uchiha Sasuke.
The woman turned around a wet dish in her hand and rose and eyebrow, the smile on her face never failing. The boy just looked down at his feet, bit his lip and then in the smallest voice he could muster, he asked his mother a question.
Uchiha Mikoto couldn't hear her son and put down her dish, deciding that whatever was bothering him was more important than a dish. She smiled at her young son, kneeling in front of him and wiping his locks of dark hair from his face.
"Sweetie?"
He looked into his mothers eyes, wandering if that look in her eyes was the answer to his question. That the way that she was with him, her smile, the kiss she reserved for him when he got up each morning, was that the answer?
"Kaa-san, what is…" the young boy gulped, "What is love?"
Behind him, came in his father, worn out and covered in sweat as he sat down upon the floor and rested his body. Mikoto smiled at her son, and whispered, "I promise to tell you tomorrow."
When his mother got up, she walked over to her husband gave him a kiss, chaste for her sons presence and gave her husband a glass of water. Watching his mother sit down beside his father and grasp his hand in hers, Sasuke wondered if that was love.
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The now twenty year old Uchiha cursed under his breath once again. Memories of his lost family were still assaulting him, even now twelve years later, three years after the damn murdering bastard had been taken down, and one year after Sasuke came to terms with himself and what happened. He had thought that he had let go of that night, but it seemed that that night had still yet to let him go.
He ran effortlessly with the rest of his Anbu squad, his eyes set forward and searching for any signs of disturbance as he along with the rest of his group ran towards their joint destination: Home.
To his left, there was Sakura; her now long pink hair was up in a braid that went down her back and her green eyes staring ahead. His smirk was hidden behind his mask, and he was happy for that, because he had done a whole lot of smiling lately, just being around Sakura. He did not know, and was a little scared of why, why being around her made him happy. But that memory, it made him think.
What is love?
Is it warm, or cold, or can you not ever feel it?
Is it a color, like blue, red, pink?
Is it something you can touch, like a person's hand?
Or, is it just a figment of a person's imagination, made to protect the human mind from pain and loss?
Sasuke looked back at Sakura, and when she looked at him, he could just tell that she was smiling at him, and he smiled behind his mask a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless. She ran over to him, close enough so that he could smell her perfume and in her quietest voice he heard her ask, "Are you happy to be going home, Sasuke-kun?"
He smirked, "Yeah, but I can already smell the ramen that the Dobe wants us to eat with him."
Sakura giggled softly, reached out her hand and grasped his and said, "C'mon Sasuke-kun, you know that you love eating ramen with us."
Sasuke squeezed her hand and replied with an 'Hn' and then let go of her hand. The two of them continued running together quietly, every now and then Sakura would pull off her mask and stick her tongue out at him. He smirked at her childish antics and ran faster slightly as the rest of the group did; being so close to home it made all of them happy.
Sasuke looked to his left and then to his right, when he could not find Sakura he turned on his Sharingan and when he found her, she was talking with Naruto way up in the front to the group. He sighed and turned off his Sharingan, wondering slightly why it was that he got so worked up over her.
When they all reached the gates Sasuke cracked his neck and sighed, it had been a long three weeks out of Konoha, the leader poof-ed and was going to fill out the mission report so Sasuke turned and was ready to go home and take a nice long shower when a small hand grasped his left hand and a large callous hand grasped his elbow.
He turned around to see Sakura and Naruto standing there, smiling like idiots and Sasuke rolled his eyes before walking with them to the ramen stand. When Naruto's large hand left his elbow, Sasuke became awfully aware of the small hand still grasping his. He looked down at his and Sakura's hand and could not help but squeeze it slightly. After getting her attention, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and let her lay her head on his shoulder right above his heart.
A year ago, after thinking everything through, he decided that Itachi was dead, and that he was a healthy young man and that he should not waste away his days thinking about the past. He had a future and if he did not take the stick out of his ass, there might not be a happy life for him. So, after some painful realizations, he sought out Sakura and told her how he really felt about her, that he cared and if she was willing to wait a while longer, he would one day be able to reciprocate her feelings.
But still, was this bond that they had, the way that he could let her hold him touch him, was that love?
Was the way that she would come to his home and make him dinner and breakfast, was that love?
The way she would always give him back rubs when he got home from missions, those little touches of hers, could that he considered love?
Or infatuation?
Sasuke glared at the ground, his hold on her shoulders accidentally increasing as they walked. He did not like that thought, of just being infatuated with someone, lusting for their body and not their mind. Sakura looked up at him, his eyes staring at the ground and a look of anger on his face. She bit her lip and nuzzled her head against his collarbone to get his attention.
When he looked done at Sakura, he could see her smile at him and in that moment he knew that what she felt for him, her intentions, were not that of infatuation. But of love. He never really doubted her, but, he could not help but worry sometimes that what he had with her was too good to be true. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead; her response was wrapping her arms around his torso and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck.
When they finally reached the ramen stand, Naruto was excitedly ordering his food and smiling like an idiot. Sasuke took the seat next to Naruto and was about to sit when Naruto stopped him and pointed to some water that was on the seat. Naruto wiped it up and patted his back.
Sitting in between the other two members of Team Seven, Sasuke wondered more on the topic of love. If Sakura loved him, and Naruto loved him, wouldn't those two kinds of love be distinguishable? Wouldn't they be different? Surely Naruto would not love him in they way that Sakura loved him, the way Naruto loved him…that would be a brotherly type of love.
A sibling affection, toward Sasuke. But, when Sasuke looked at his past, the love that Naruto had for him was quite different from the love that he had felt from his real brother, Itachi. Sasuke knew that the love he got from Itachi, however long ago it was, it was completely different from the love that he got from Naruto.
The love that Itachi had showed him as a child was, brotherly yes, but, then again it wasn't. Itachi seemed to love him as if Sasuke was his friend. Sure, there was that five year difference in age, but, when Sasuke looked back at his past with Itachi; they never really bonded as brothers.
Itachi trained him a few times, was usually on missions or out sparring. He was never really there; he seemed more of a friend when Sasuke thought about it.
But, once again, if what Naruto felt for him, that brotherly love, what would it be?
Would it be the bruises that Naruto gave him when they fought?
The nicknames that they called each other growing up?
The trust that Naruto always seemed to have in him and vise versa?
The way that Naruto would always cheer him up, just by being stupid and annoying the shit out of him?
Or, was it in simple actions as just now, looking out for him even if it was just against a little puddle of water on a seat?
Naruto burped and Sasuke smirked and enjoyed the sound of Sakura's and Naruto's laughter, temporarily forgetting about his question.
Later that night, when Sasuke lay in bed, a pink head of hair on his chest and snores from his guest room filling his senses, Sasuke smiled and pulled Sakura closer relishing the feeling of being close to her. When Naruto's loud snores once again reached his ears he smirked, thinking of the worst way to wake up the poor blond.
When he closed his eyes and fell into the soft hands of slumber, he smiled, knowing that this was love. This feeling of safety, of comfort, of relaxation and utter contentment was love.
FIN
Well, I could not help myself, please review and tell me what you all think. I do not own Naruto in any way that right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I think I spelled that right, oh well, I hope you all like this, Sasuke might seem OOC, but, you see he came to terms with himself and made some life changing decisions before the story takes place.
Hugs and Kisses to you all,
Tamiko-Chan81