Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

A figure was seen walking through the woods, walking at an easy pace as wind picked up and blew a couple of leaves up. It was a crisp autumn day, not too warm or cold, a day for one to relax and enjoy oneself.

Walking on, more of him was shown as he had bright blonde hair and warm blue eyes filled with life.

What was most striking about him was his features, his ears most notably, instead of regular human ears, his were perched on his head and were red with a tint of orange on them and he also possessed a bushy tail sticking out of his back as well.

He was a Kitsune, a type of demon that was a mixture of human and fox. His name was Naruto.

Naruto walked on, the young Kitsune making his way as he felt the sun shining on him through the forest trees. He was an adventurous sort, never wanting to stay in one place for so long as he wanted to see the world and what it had for him.

But despite it, what he desired most of a companion, a mate to be with for his life. There wasn't a whole lot of females in his kind and the ones who were weren't his type. Even though he had and was friends with other demons, he was lonely when it came to being with someone who he wanted to spend forever with.

"It would be nice if I could find someone, but I've haven't found anyone yet." He said to himself. "I've tried with others but I haven't felt anything with them." Naruto mentioned as he had been in relationships with females before but couldn't feel anything serious with them, no spark or sense of passion with them.

Naruto went on when he suddenly heard something. "Hmm?" He said in confusion as it caught the Kitsune's attention. "What was that?" He said as he tilted his head. He listened in closely trying to figure out what it was.

"Music?" He said as he recognized it. Somebody was playing music just now. "Where's that coming from?" He asked himself and listening to it pinpointed where it was coming from and went after it.

As he made his way, the sound of music became louder, hinting that he was getting closer and closer to it. He continued onwards, his curiosity getting the better of him as he went on trying to find it.

He soon found the source of it, he stopped hiding behind a pair of bushes and crouching looked on through them and saw where it was coming from and who it was playing it.

A girl was seen seated on the rock, and she was the source of the music as she had an instrument and it was brought up to her lips and was playing it.

She had long red hair that reached down past her shoulders and a pair of brown eyes. She held in her hands a short instrument that she was playing, her hands and fingers moving dexterously across it as she continued to play the flute.

The girl played her flute, oblivious to her surroundings and that he was nearby and watching her. She played it skillfully and with elegance, her eyes closed as the notes from her instrument filled the air that which had caught his attention and made Naruto seek it out.

He looked on as he listened to her play, the Kitsune's ears twitching slightly as he heard the music that was coming from her instrument. It was a soft pleasant tune that she was playing, its sound echoing around as he sat there in a crouched position and listened on to it. The effect of it soothing and making his body relax. She continued to play on, unaware of her audience who was watching her as she did.

Naruto watched on as the girl was rather attractive as her body had developed into a full figure. Her red hair was her most striking feature and her brown eyes were sharp and yet a softness was in them.

He sniffed and got a whiff of her scent, what a pleasant smell she had he detected. It wasn't like any other humans scent. A smile formed on his face as he shut his eyes and continued to listen. For a moment he thought about getting closer to her.

Most humans however, were superstitious and afraid of his kind. Believing them to be monsters and man eaters. Few wanted anything to do with him and if they saw him they would usually run away. And so he stayed put where he was at.

The music suddenly stopped and he opened his eyes and looking saw the girl start to walk away. He watched her leave as her form departed in the distance and let out a sigh as she disappeared from sight, odds were he never would see her again as he got up and left as well.

The next day, he on a fools' hope arrived at the spot where she had been at but didn't see here. Looking on he shrugged and went to leave when his ears detected the sound of footsteps and he turned around and saw someone approaching and he got out of sight. He looked on and Naruto smiled as he saw the girl. She was approaching the rock and got on it and bringing out her flute began to play it like she had done yesterday.

Naruto sat down in his spot and listened to her play. The girls' music flowed through the air filling it with a soothing melody. A soft enchanting melody that made his body relax and forget about all of his worries and troubles he had.

He continued to sit there and listened to the girl play, her music could be soft and gentle, and then turn into loud and raging and then back again. She played many tunes on her instrument as she was a master of it.

She continued to play for over an hour before coming to a stop and got up off of the rock.

The girl began to leave heading back the way that she had came.

Although he knew that he shouldn't, he decided to go after her and see where she stayed at.

Naruto followed after her, at a fair distance so she wouldn't realize that he was behind her as he went on. He continued on following her and soon came to her home in a town that had many humans in it. He stayed back in the outskirts as he likely wouldn't be welcomed there if he tried to went in and follow her as he saw her enter.

"Tayuya!" A voice called out and he ducked out of sight and saw another girl with red hair and wearing glasses appear and began to talk with the girl.

"Tayuya." He repeated to himself as her name escaped his lips. He learned her name, her name that she had was Tayuya. He watched on as she talked as well with another girl who had long black hair with a ribbon in it.

He continued to watch her, seeing her interact with others. Her voice was just as melodic as her music playing in his eyes as he heard her talk and learned more about her and her character. She wasn't the type to back down from others and she said what was on her mind, she didn't defer to others and followed her own style.

"Wow." Naruto said as he was perched on a roof of a tall building looking on from above. "She's amazing." He whispered to himself as he watched her. Sure there was other pretty girls there in the town like some shy girl who stuttered but none of them were catching and holding his attention the way she did.

The very next day she returned to the spot and played again, still unaware that Naruto was watching and listening to her play, enjoying her music with a wide smile on his face as he watched her play the instrument.

So they developed into a routine of sorts between them, Naruto would wait at the spot for her and Tayuya would appear and play her music and he'd listen to her melodic tunes as she played her flute.

"You've been fancying some human girl haven't you?" A Dog Demon named Kiba said to Naruto one day. "Didn't think you'd be wanting one of them." He said a smirk on his face.

"Mind your own business Kiba." Naruto said to him as it wasn't anyone else's business what he was doing or who he fancied.

"Hey take it easy, be nice for you to find someone." Kiba said good naturedly but Naruto wasn't buying it. "Its good for you to finally find someone, you've talked to her haven't you."

"No…" Naruto replied and Kiba laughed obnoxiously.

"Geez man, I thought you had more balls than that." He said and Naruto glared at him. "You've just been spying on the chick this whole time? You've become a creep haven't you." He said with another laugh. "Well if you're not going to go up to her, maybe I will. I've never been with a hume before-"

The next thing he knew, Naruto's fist rammed hard into his face knocking him to the ground

At times at night he would sneak into the town to see her, she never knew about him as he was stealthy and staying out of sight. He left a bracelet that he had found for her on Tayuya's window one day and was happy to see her wear it the next day. His feelings for her were starting to grow into something he couldn't quite explain with just words. He found himself wanting to be with her forever, to spend his life with the human girl. At times he thought about revealing himself or appearing in her home and taking her with him so they could be together

But yet, something was holding him back from revealing himself to her. That kept him in the spot.

He wanted to approach her and reveal himself to her, but the fear of being rejected and shunned by her because of what he was kept him from doing so. Afraid that Tayuya would only think of him as a monster and flee in terror like others had done so beforehand. The fear that humans had of anything that was even slightly different than them.

After a month had passed between them and it was nearing Winter, Naruto was back at the spot and waiting patiently for her to appear. She did and his smile grew as he eagerly waited for her to begin.

But as she did, two small black birds suddenly flew by overhead and landed near them and began to move around. Pecking the ground and walking across it. The magpies cawed and squawked as they moved around and got up close to him.

"Shoo, beat it." He told them in irritation as they were bugging him but the birds stayed around and moved about and flying in his face. An annoyed look appeared on his face as they were keeping him from enjoying Tayuya's music.

"Get out of here!" He shouted angrily and swatted at them and the two magpies flew off cawing loudly in protest at him. "Stupid birds." Naruto grumbled as they were ruining the moment

The noise however caught Tayuya's attention and she stopped her playing and looked on at where she had heard it coming from and saw the bushes rustle.

"Who's there?" She called out to the bushes. "I know that someone's there, show yourself whoever the heck you are." Tayuya said a frown on her face.

Naruto realized that the gig was up and he had no choice now, he could either run away and odds were she'd never come back to this spot, or he could reveal himself for the first time to her.

Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, he stepped forward out of the bushes.

Tayuya looked on as to her surprise a male appeared, but he wasn't any ordinary male, as she saw the features that he possessed.

"You're a Kitsune?" Tayuya said and a look of shock appeared on her face at what she was seeing before her just now. Having not expected him to be like that.

Seeing her reaction, a dejected look appeared on Naruto's face as what he feared was going to happen all along did. (I should've known.) He thought sadly to himself. He knew that it was too good to be true, hoping that she wouldn't be afraid of him. She was just like the rest after all. Somberly and giving into the sad fact that she wouldn't want anything to do with him, he turned around and prepared to leave her alone before she ran away like all the rest who feared his kind.

"Wait." Her voice called out asking him to stop. "Why are you leaving?" Tayuya asked him a confused look on her face that he would walk away.

Naruto slowly turned around to face her and saw that she didn't have a look of fear or mistrust on her face when she saw him.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Naruto asked her looking on at Tayuya. "Don't you want me to go away?"

"No, why should I be?" Tayuya replied to him as she stared at him as he was around her height and stature. "I've never seen a Kitsune before." She said to Naruto looking on at the fox and human hybrid.

The redheaded girl stepped forward to him and Naruto hesitated unsure what he should do. She wasn't running away which was good but he didn't know what to do next, he never thought about what to do if she ever saw him.

A hand suddenly reached out and softly touched his ears and he opened his eyes and saw Tayuya staring at him a look of confusion and yet there was also wonder in her eyes at what she was seeing.

"Who are you?" The girl asked him.

"Naruto, my names Naruto." He said to her.

"I'm Tayuya." She said in response to him and he nodded his head having known it all along. "Have you been listening to me this whole time?"

"Yes." Naruto replied to her. "I have been, ever since I first heard your music." The Kitsune said to her

"Do you like it?" Tayuya asked him.

"Yes, your music is very pretty." Naruto answered to her and she smiled in appreciation which was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen just now. "I've been listening to you play your music for some time."

"You have?" Tayuya said to him. "I didn't realize that you was this whole time." She said. At times she felt she was being watched over by somebody from afar but never did find anybody when she looked. She looked on at the bracelet she had on her arm and put two and two together.

"Why have you been watching me?" She asked him wanting to know the truth and Naruto reached up and scratched the back of his head.

"I'm, I'm…I'm in love with you!" He sputtered out quickly and turned his head away as he heard Tayuya gasp.

"W-What did you just say?" Tayuya asked him not sure if she heard him right.

"I'm in love with you Tayuya." Naruto said to her. "I've been in love with you for some time." He told her. "I know this sounds crazy me a Demon being in love with a Human, but I've fallen in love with you over this past month." Naruto said to her as Tayuya said nothing in response.

The chilly wind picked up as their hair blew from the gust of it as they stared at one another. Neither saying anything to one another. Naruto turned around and went to leave when a hand reached out and grasped his own.

"Don't go." Tayuya said to him as she wanted him to stay. "Do you really love me?" She asked him and Naruto slowly nodded his head in confirmation. She was surprised and stunned by what had happened, getting a love confession from a Kitsune.

"Yes, but I understand if you won't want anything to do with me, I know that place you live at wants nothing to do with-"

"Just shut up." Tayuya said to him as she interrupted him catching Naruto off guard. "I don't care what anyone thinks about you whether you was a human or a demon. You're a nice person Naruto, and that's what matters to me." She said to him and Naruto smiled at her.

"You want me around?" He asked her and she nodded his head.

"Yes, they can go screw themselves for all I care if their upset about you. You're my friend and that's what matters to me." Tayuya said to him and Naruto felt his heart beating faster and faster like a drum about ready to burst out of his chest at what he was feeling.

"While I don't really know a whole lot about you, I'm willing to find out more about you Naruto." Tayuya said and Naruto smiled at her.

"Thank you." He said to her and she smiled back at him.

Tilting his head down, his lips gently pressed against her own as the two stood there in the forest.