Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I make money off this fanfic. :(

Summary: Love is being able to deal with all the problems life presents.

Couples: NaruSasu so far.

Comment: Amidst writing next chapter for Angels Don't Lie, this thing wouldn't let go of my head. I might add on to this or it might be One Shot, depending on how people take it. Any input welcome.

"All love that has not friendship for its base,
Is like a mansion built upon the sand." – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Chapter 1

This thing we don't call love.

I don't know what it is.

Every day we meet, my heart beats quicker, my palms are sweatier. I lose control of my eyes, it's movements against everything I'm thinking.

The day we met, your hands daintily clean while mine were drenched in hand paint, I thought you were one of the cootie holders. You were pouting like it would dry those the blues and browns and blacks you used to paint your family. You were holding the brush like your dad was watching, like someone would admonish you for holding it crooked.

Your seriousness, in the middle of the rest of us having fun. It grated me.

So I jumped you.

And put a hand print on your family painting.

I thought it was fun.

I thought you would get mad and play fight with me.

But you just calmly took your painting and walked away. Asked the teacher if you could have another paper 'cause you had made a mistake.

I didn't like that.

So the next time we made fake bento out of clay, a gift for our mommies, I took away your white dough. You couldn't make rice.

You looked for it, finally pointed those deep dark eyes my way and calmly, smoothly, took my white dough.

You still didn't say anything, but you had looked at me.

So next time we made paper crafts of our favorite food, while you asked the teacher for glue, I took your red and made an apple, cause it wasn't the tomato you wanted to make.

You looked at me, annoyed, and started walking up to me. Maybe to take the read that I hadn't turned to fishcake spirals. But then you kept turning the apple this way and that way and just stopped walking.

You looked up to me and it was weird, that coloring on your white cheeks, and walked away. A very smile on your face

It was weird.

So every day I would do something, to get you looking my way. And you would look my way every time, while you ignored everyone.

And so we kept doing this weird little routine. Until we hit third grade.

For a month you were gone, and I had no one to bother. Everyone liked me and, even when I annoyed them, they smiled and laughed at my antics, while you would pinch me or smacked me on the head for doing something stupid.

For that one month, I was quiet.

And when that month was done, you were quiet.

You didn't pay attention to anyone, only on your studies and the teachers. You kept going to the school office or the nurse. You kept sitting out for gym. All of our teachers accepted it.

It was uncomfortable.

So when I saw you sitting under a shade, away from the cafeteria, I would sneak up behind you, and sit hidden by the tree. After you've eaten maybe half your bento, you'd stand, glance my way and walk to your next class, without a word. Rain or shine.

When you sat out for gym, I would get a muscle cramp or a headache. First so that I could just sit in your silence. Then so that I could talk your ears off about my day. Usually you would frown and try to find another place to sit. Every day.

I kept at it until you began getting annoyed, began yelling and, finally we fought. Oh we fought.

At the end of third grade, we brought each other to the nurse's office, my bloody nose and your bleeding lip. We stood against the principle, who threatened to expel us.

But I know that you felt the same as I did.

It was fun, twisted as that sounded.

So every couple of weeks we'd land in the nurse's office, soon after to the principal's office. He yelled that we shame our parents with these childish fights of ours. I said my mom called it bonding, you said you had no parents and it wasn't any of his business.

That day we got suspended, for one quiet week.

And back to the nurse's office we went, four weeks later. This time the principal gave us a month long detention, to clean our classroom every day. You scoffed and cuffed me on the head, but went ahead and cleaned with me. Or cleaned for me, since I was so clumsy.

We kept at it until middle school, much to everyone's annoyance.

With our fights came people with questions. People who became our friends. Sakura-chan, Neji, Shikamaru, Dog-breath. Our small group of friends.

And so you began noticing, everyone else around us.

I was fine with it.

One day, when something Sakura-chan said made you whisper something back, I asked to go to the nurse. Feeling weird from the milk I drank for breakfast.

I stayed there for one, two, three hours. Just lying down and resting.

And you came by and said "Here I thought I'm the only one that sends you to the nurse."

I blew a raspberry and you smiled. And smiled. And smiled.

I looked away and you said something. So I turned.

And you kissed me, with a smile still in your eyes.

And we fought, of course we fought. Someone had to take control.

And you just smirked, laughed it off, called me an idiot and left.

So we kissed and touched and groped, whenever we were alone.

And we dance this little dance, away from everyone's prying eyes.

And I wonder…

I wonder if you'll ever say anything, about this thing we don't call love.