Note: I do NOT own Naruto. Because if I did, Sasuke wouldn't be gone! Nor do I own Shenandoah, which is who sings the lyrics in this story.
Two Dozen Roses.
Enjoy!
'Till The Last Rose Dies
I brought flowers to your door last night.
Azure eyes watched the rain pelt against the soft petals of one single rose on his doorstep. It lay there, a thousand secrets buried in it's stem and lies encased in it's petals. Now who would be sending him flowers at this time of night?
He looked over at the digital clock on his stand. It read half past three, it was cold, wet and far too early in the morning for someone to be knocking on his door and leaving flowers.
I done you wrong and I want to make it right.
Could you even find roses in Konoha? He bent forward slightly, picking it up by the stem, careful of the thorns on it's side. It looked like any other rose would, he supposed, putting his nose to the red petals and sniffing.
Smelt like one too. No traps or poison, his eyes narrowed out at the rain, as it trying to find the person responsible. Nothing. No chakra, no one at all. He let out a heavy sigh and walked back into his house to find a vase.
You say I'm not welcome here
I know it outta be perfectly clear
It happened again the next night. At the same exact time and in the same exact spot. He tilted his head to the side and looked out at the dark setting outside his front door. No one, nothing at all. The rose was settled in next to the first one in a small crystal vase Sakura had bought for him.
But I can't help but wonder what it might be like...
He asked everyone he knew if they brought him flowers. Funny looks and barks of laughter were his rewards. Why would we bring you flowers?, Was Sai's question after a week of receiving a rose a night. Sakura had whacked him upside the head and gave Naruto a small smile, saying Sai was just an idiot.
It just didn't make sense, who was lying? Who was telling the truth?
Nervous eyes stared down at the 12th rose on his door step. He picked it up slowly, bringing it to his nose and closing his eyes. It smelt the same as the others. Sweet, hauntingly sweet, and gentle against his senses.
He lifted his head to stare out at the foggy landscape of Konoha. There were so many people, who could miss someone setting a flower on his doorstep? Or was she just that good?
Couldn't be Sakura, she finally gave into going on a date with Lee and came to him glowing like a dozen lights on Christmas eve. They had been going on dates every chance they got, you couldn't find a happier person than Rock Lee.
Oh I must have been a fool back then
The next night, he got his thirteenth rose, at the same time, in the same spot. Sakura was seated on his sofa shogi board spread out on his floor and wearing a confused expression as he shut the door and nestled the rose in with the other ones.
Some were starting to wither, drying up and letting the dead petals litter the kitchen table. He never bothered to clean them up. Just...left them where they fell. His pink-haired friend walked in behind him, surveying the flowers with one of her 'thinking' faces. Still no clue as who's leaving them? she asked, looking over at him from across the table.
He shook his head.
To lose something that you can't have again.
They didn't stop. After 14, and 15 and 16, they still kept coming. Every night, rain or shine, sleet or hail. It was always there, laying on his front porch for him to see. It was almost routine to wake up seconds before the knock would sound, to rush down the stairs and hope to finally catch them, but missing by seconds.
I've done all that I know to do
and second guess my every move
On the night of the 23rd rose, there was no knock on the door. He didn't wake up at first, lost in the world where nothing had changed. Where when he woke up, team 7 would be leaving on a mission, as though nothing had ever happened.
A soft slide of cool fingers against his face was what jerked him from slumber as the clock on his bed stand struck three in the morning. He looked around he room, finding no one. So he stood up, wrapped himself in a warm jacket and pushed his front door open.
And there it was. The twenty-third rose.
But I can't help but wonder how it might have been--
He didn't want to leave his house on the chilly October day. Sakura had beat on his door every hour or so, begging him to come out and celebrate with them. What was there to celebrate?, he wondered, staring blankly up at his ceiling.
Midnight rolled around, the one, then two. He had drifted off into a light slumber, curled up in his blankets and trying to block out the cold. His eyes blinked open slowly, sitting up and staring at the open window. When had he opened it...?
He climbed out of bed, stumbling down the stairs and throwing open the front door. Then he was collapsing to the ground, the large pile of small boxes blurring in his vision. They all had someones name on them, wrapped in paper and tied with bows.
And laying on top of them all was a single red rose.
Shaking fingers lifted it slowly, eyes watering as he closed his eyes, brought it to his nose and anticipating the lovely smell.
It never came.
He opened his eyes, jerking the flower back and looking at it in astonishment. There was no smell, no...no...he brought his other hand to the petals, eyes narrowing at the rough texture. So this was some sort of joke?
It was a fucking fake!
He stood up, angry and ready to throw the stupid flower and it's previous sisters out and over the upstairs balcony. But a sharp thud in the wall behind him, stopped his arm from going back.
If I could cry a little harder...
His foot steps were small, hesitant and wary as he walked slowly to the kuni now buried in his wall. His hand lifted slowly, fingers shaking as he yanked at it.
And get a little less sleep at night...
Blue eyes blinked as a small slip of paper floated to the hardwood floor, the wind from outside the door blowing it into his room. He followed after it, picking it up. Rose in one hand, paper in the other. He squinted at it, reading the finely written words.
'Till the last rose dies.
He let out a large wallop of air that he didn't know he had been holding, and hit the ground again. The rose fell from his hand, hitting the floor just as the dying flowers in the kitchen shed their last petals. But the one thing that made the tears fall.
The one thing that made him clench the paper in his hand, pick up the rose and hold it close to his chest. Were the small words written on the back of the paper.
Happy birthday, dobe.
If I had two dozen roses...
Owari
Ahhh. A sad, angsty fic. -sighs- I must be in one of those 'moods'. So, I hope you got most of it. Ever heard of the saying 'He brought her 12 roses. 11 real and one fake and said 'I'll love you till the last rose dies.' Cept I changed things up a bit. And where it says 'You say I'm not welcome here' well, that kinda means that he's not welcome in Konoha anymore, ya get it?
The story title is going to be the title for a short story I plan on publishing soon. I've been working like crazy on the plot line for it.
But first, I had to get THIS one out of my head. lol
It's getting close to Naruto's birthday, yea? And since I leave for Miami soon, I won't have time to get it up, so I'm doing it now. I really hope you enjoyed it, I worked all morning on this and cried like...fifty times while the song played, because it reminds me of my first love.
And Disturbia is still up for voting. I haven't gotten many, I'm so disappointed...lol no. no. I kid. Vote if you want to, I just don't want to write something that people don't want.
Blessed be,
Angel