A/N - Shut up, I know. Anyway. I'm trying to fall back into my writing gradually, this story is supposed to help with it. Easy going with some minor ups and downs. I've been gone for awhile, I need to build back up my style and easy flow. So I'm sorry if any of this seems a bit crappy.

As for other stories. EOS is on hold; DA is on hold for NOW but I doubt for long; pretty much everything is on hold but this story.

THanks for the support, hope you enjoy

DISCLAIMER- I do not own Naruto

She's been there for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories consisted with a small teddy bear from my mother, the a slide my dad had gotten me, and a strange little girl who was around my age playing in the yard right across the street.

When I think of it now, it was her rich red hair that caught my attention when I was a child. I could have spotted her from a mile with such an odd shade of color. And while her hair caught my attention- her ability to play by herself but yet have a strong enough imagination to sit and fight invisible monsters stirred interest within me.

Then again, I was only 5. I didn't know who she was, and I didn't plan on ever speaking to her. She was simply just the girl across the street.

Thing is, time forces everything to change around us. Soon I wasn't 5 anymore, I was growing bit by bit. I danced through elementary school- with the strange girl in my sights yet never in the same class as me. Middle school was a little more of a hassle, but only because of the sudden new environment with no recess and more school work. That and unexpectedly being subjected to find an identity for myself, simply to make friends and find a group that was accepting.

Over the years, I found out her name was Tayuya- and even though she was right across the street from, I managed to only see her now and again.

Well, until freshman year of high school.

X

I walked down the lonely isle of the library, dusty books silently watching me. With a small frown I glanced around warily; The eerie feeling they were giving off made me feel chilly. Taking a quick turn, I ran my eyes against the rusted numbers on the side of the tall book cases.

"Damn it," I whispered to myself, stopping and turning my head behind me with a confused look around, "How the heck did I miss it?"

The books didn't answer as I continued to search for the numbers 34. It should have been right here, I should be right on top of it. Biting my lip, I stumbled forward in hopes to find it at the other end. It seemed to get darker the further I went- most likely having reached the "never checked out" section of the library; the smell of old books were starting to make me believe so.

As I came the to the middle of another isle again, I stopped and looked around. This time, it seemed I have managed to get further away. With a frustrated stop, I whispered angerly, "What the hell?"

With a sudden surge of motivation, I stomped down another isle- knowing it had to be SOMEWHERE.

And that's when I saw her. That red hair tumbled down a slim shoulder with naked arms as she leaned against a shelf, lazily looking at the book at her lap. With one leg stretched out and the other propped up with a bent knee, she certainly looked comfortable. I couldn't help to stare, not knowing what to say. It didn't matter though, because she had then spotted me.

Her eyes scrunched in a slight confused way until a small grin slipped her lips. Shifting, she took out the headphones that were hidden behind her hair from her ear. Then, she put her book beside her and said, "Ino Yamanaka?"

I bit my lip to hide my smile. It seemed like every time we met, no matter how scares, she never failed to force a tug at my lips. Taking a step closer, and said back in a mocking way, "Tayuya Hokumon."

"Hey there," she smiled easily. As I stepped towards her she watched me. I felt a bit nervous over her gaze, but tried not to show it. With a small smile sat on my lips, I stepped into a comfortable distance and waited. Giving a casual grin, she asked, "So, fancy meeting you here?"

"At the library?" I replied in disbelief. Before I could explain that I practically lived here, she stepped in, "Nah not the library, this section. You're never over here."

"Um," I started, "Are you here a lot too?"

"Yeah," She replied, using her finger to point around in a small twirl as she smiled, "Kinda like the solitude."

After processing that bit of information, I suddenly started to stumbled out, "Oh sorry, I'll go."

Her face fell into confusion as I started to leave. Turning my back to her, I searched for where I left off, but I didn't get far because I felt a warm hand on my wrist.

"Hey," Tayuya said quickly, "don't be a dork, that isn't what I meant."

I allowed her to stop me, and with a bite of my lip I turned around. She was giving me a worried look, her cat like brown eyes waiting anxiously. Now incredibly embarrassed, I blushed and started, "Oh, sorry I thought-"

"No no, it's my fault," she cut off, taking a step back as she rubbed the back of her neck, "That was my bad, I should have thought that out more carefully."

"I just figured with the music and all you wanted to be alone," I continued nervously, not being able to stop my babbling.

"Well I did," She started, but with a drop of her face, she realized what she had said, "I did- I diddddd, but… you're a very pleasant intrusion."

I stopped word vomiting with a glance at her. The smile she was giving me made me look away, her casual comfortability forcing me to feel a bit squirmy. I mumbled 'whatever', and knew she had to be still grinning.

"So," she continued while I stared at the books, "Why this section of the library?"

Remembering what my true purpose was, I frowned and looked around in annoyance, "I have to find a stupid old book for my history class, and I can't friggin' find the isle."

Her laugh tugged my eyes back to hers. When we made contact with each other, she settled and started carefully, "Well, that seems like trouble. What are you looking for?"

"It's some war book," I answered, thinking of the history paper I had to write, "It's a big one for uh… damn it. For…"

I fell silent, my thoughts searching for the missing information. In the midst of my adventure, Tayuya laughed. Coming back to the present, I glanced over at her in question.

Her laugh simmered to a small smile, "Sorry, it's just when you are thinking really hard, you start to pout."

My eyes turned wide as I blushed and looked away. I was just about to stutter out for her to go away until she started in a thoughtful tone, "There's the War of Great Savagery, started and fought for a 9 long year battle just for the northern river."

Blinking in surprise, my brain sparked as I gushed, "That is the one! How did you know?"

"Oh," she shrugged with her hands shifting to be shoved in her pocket, "I like reading about the old wars and stuff," Her eyes then fell to the ground with a small frown, "some of the reasons they started are pretty fucked up and everything- I figure someone should show some attention to them. They are written down to be remembered after all."

Her voice was falling with every word she spoke, and I doubted she realized it. I watched her quietly, my eyes sliding and seeing the distant look that were in hers. For a moment, I held my breath. I wasn't sure, but the look on her face was starting to put a sputter in my heart beat. Swallowing, I mumbled after she finished, "So you enjoy history."

"More like wars," She replied, but nodded with a smile, "That book would be down that way. Isle 34."

"Yes 34!" I said excitedly. Then with a point, I angrily stated, "But the thing doesn't exist! I went from 33 to 35 five times!"

"You know why?" She started with small nods of sudden realization, "That isle genre is so small that they put two in one. I'm guessing it's at the end of 33."

"Oh god," I sighed out, "Do they seriously do that here? I wonder how many others have had this adventure."

"I'm sure one student every year during this time has had this adventure from the same random paper." She joked as I gave a small laugh and agreed. But after that laugh, we fell silent. It took a moment to realize it, seeing as she always seemed to make me comfortable. I parted my lips to speak when the silence started to seep into my conscious, but Tayuya managed to before me.

"So, are we going to pretend we will talk to each other later, or do we just say bye?"

The question dragged a small frown to my lips. I watched her, confused at the way she smiled so good naturally after the fact. It was perplexing because the sentence sounded like it was out of spite, but the way she said it was more like casually throwing a good conversation starter.

"Um," I began, the same small frown still at my lips, "is that what we do?"

"Usually," She answered with a shrug, "for awhile anyway."

"Sounds terrible," I mumbled while looking away, a feeling stirring my stomach.

Her voice was reassuring as I avoided her eyes, "No it isn't, it is just how we work? I mean, it has never failed us right?" I bit my lip and shifted, bringing my hand to my forearm. She must have noticed how uneasy I looked. With a sigh, she pressed, "There is no harm in admitting it. I have no shame in admitting anything else to you. Like all the times I get to talk to you, I am happy and smiling for the rest of the day."

My stomach flipped. I opened my mouth and stumbled out nervously, "Liar."

"No lie," she replied simply, her eyes on me, "No reason to lie to you, and plus I would trust you wouldn't lie to me."

I turned back to her, watching the way waited with her eyes steady in mine. After a moment, I asked, "Then why don't we hang out?"

She shrugged as she ran her hand through her red hair, "Just the way of the world, that and we hang out with completely different kinds of people."

"You hang out with skaters," I stated, saying it to myself as well as her. She nodded and smiled naturally, "And you hang with the popular kids. We just don't mix."

"We should," I started firmly, giving her a look. I only seemed to amuse her though. Laughing, she replied, "But we don't. Anyway, go find your book, make sure its there- if not they can grab a copy from another library if you ask."

"Oh, ok," I mumbled, nodding at the valuable information, "Then yeah… I better go."

"Take care," It sounded so teasing, so poking. I gave her one more glance before turning and going back to the edges of the library. When I looked back, she was watching me- assuring I was heading the right way before returning to read. The moment she caught my eyes though, she waved.

I looked away and kept going- careful not to look back this time. It didn't take long to find the missing isle, and it wasn't hard to find the book I was looking for. But when I came back around to thank Tayuya for the help, she was gone.

Biting my lip, I wondered if we truly wouldn't talk for awhile from now. Then my mind wandered to how sometimes we ride the same bus if she wasn't skateboarding to school. Sighing, I just mumbled to myself.

No, I'll speak with her again, soon enough.

X

Despite my optimistic thoughts, I hadn't talked to her after that day. Actually, after that meeting within the library, Tayuya seemed to have disappeared. I hardly saw her at all with the different classes we took and the fact that she hardly ever rode the bus. So, eventually time trickled by.

Then, possibly a month later, I had spotted her again. She had her music in her ear and her skateboard in her hand. The distance between us was not much, it was small enough to stir a feeling of jogging up to say hello. The way she looked though, the way she composed herself as she made her way down the sidewalk and further from the school- well it made me nervous. Suddenly I was thinking I wouldn't have anything to say- so it would be awkward and weird.

After a while, she threw her skateboard on the ground and hopped on it as it rolled across the pavement. And so, just like that, she was now skating down the road, her eyes never have reaching mine as she moved her lips to the song she was listening too.

I watched her for a bit, saw how she pushed her hands into her pocket after pulling a hat backwards on her head. With a tank top on as well as some ripped jeans, her body was something to be jealous of. And her skin had a tan to it, most likely from her always being outside. Just by her looks, I was surprised she wasn't popular as well. I had to admit, it was the only reason I was.

After that last thought, I pondered if she could be popular- that way we could hang out. But I saw the way she looked as she pushed against that concrete, her hair slowly starting to pick up and flutter. Even if it was an opportunity she wouldn't take it, it wasn't her style.

In the midst of my thoughts, out of no where, she suddenly turned her head to see behind her. Riding down the street, pockets still in her hand, I saw her curve her board left and right smoothly as she caught my eyes. She was pretty far now, so I couldn't see what her expression looked like. If I had to guess, I would say that there was knowing smirk at her lips as she raised her hand lazily and held it in the air in show of a wave.

I waved back- if only raising my hand in an unsure sort of a way. She didn't stop, but she also didn't look away for awhile. Soon enough though, she did, and I too turned and walked towards the buses.

But damn it all to hell, there was another smile sitting on my face.

Heyyyyy sooooo yes know this isn't your OTP but come on, give it a chance. I mean, don't you love me?

Anyway, I went to check and make sure everything came out alright for the online viewing, and saw that I had some how missed like a slice of my chapter and the A/N. SOOOO I fixed it. Anyway. Read review.

I love Konetsu :3

Shy out.