Christmas. Everyone loves it. The snow covering the ground till you had to where snow shoes just to get through it. The way snow fell into your clothes when you barely touched a tree. The way pneumonia suddenly seems imminent just because you were hit with a snowball. The knowledge that everyone would be cuddled all warm in their houses, with family around, to open presents from all their friends and family - all their loved ones. Everyone, that is, except you.
Naruto shook his head as he walked down the street with Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura was telling them about the party her family was throwing for everyone on Christmas Eve. Sasuke was half listening, enough to comment on her parent's color choices, and Naruto appeared to be all ears.
Naruto was actually watching Sasuke. The big lug hardly show interest in anything, so how were you supposed to get him a damn Christmas present?! Sakura stopped them all very suddenly and Naruto and Sasuke nearly tripped each other stopping.
"Oh! Isn't it cute?" she squealed, pointing at a puppy figurine.
She'd been trying to drop hints to them all week. Naruto had already gotten her a make-up kit though. He bet that he'd get smacked for it as if he didn't think she looked nice without it, but at least he got her something. Honestly, no one could look as good as Sasuke, with or without makeup. Then again, that was just Naruto's opinion.
That's when Naruto saw it. Sasuke was staring in the store window with interest! He saw something he liked?! What was it? Naruto bent past him to see. Just inside the store, past the dog Sakura was ogling, was a rack covered in frog themed objects. From purses to bed sheets, they had everything. Had Sasuke given in to Naruto's obsession and finally found an interest in the almighty frog?
Sasuke shifted his weight and pulled out his wallet. Naruto watched as he counted the cash he had on him and then replaced the wallet in his pocket. So Sasuke didn't have the money for whatever froggy goodness he wanted?
Perfect! Naruto would just-... wait. Come to think of it, Naruto had no money either. Damn. Oh well. Never fear! Naruto would get the money somehow!
– – – – –
"Please, please, pleeeaaassseee!" Naruto begged, hands clasped and head bowed.
"Okay, okay. Don't make a scene in front of my shop. I'll hire you and pay you the same as any other worker - just like I promised," the Ichiraku (sp?) owner finally gave in.
"Yeah! Whoo-hoo!" Naruto cheered.
"This person must be really special to you," the guy muttered as he cleaned a bowl.
"Eh?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. The owner sighed at Naruto's slow mind.
"I'm not dumb. It's almost Christmas, and you need money. It's gotta be for a gift," he explained.
"Wow. You're right," Naruto laughed. "I gotta go, but I'll see you in the morning, boss man!"
And Naruto was gone in a cloud of smoke. No one could run quite like Naruto.
– – – – –
Four days till Christmas remained. Naruto had been working hard for two weeks to earn enough for gifts. He'd never quite checked how much the frog cost so he was just working till he couldn't anymore.
Sakura and Sasuke had come to see him at work once or twice, but it seemed more like Sakura was dragging Sasuke in against his will. Before he could see them, he could always hear them.
"Come on, Sasuke! We didn't come all this way to just walk away. We're going in!" Sakura would growl angrily. However, by the time Naruto saw her, she looked happy as a clam.
He'd serve Sakura something simple while Sasuke ordered two bowls of beef ramen - laden with vegetables. Naruto didn't even know Sasuke liked ramen until now. He was surprised because Sasuke ALWAYS ordered two bowls. Even if he looked like he couldn't take another bite after the first, he'd order a second. Sometimes, he ordered it to go, but he always got that second bowl.
Sakura warned him that eating like that was going to make him fat, but Sasuke insisted that training in the snow would take it all off.
Training. That was something Naruto now only did at night or weekends when he had time off. He missed sparing with Sasuke. Maybe that's what let Sasuke know he had a job in the first place, because Naruto certainly didn't tell him. But even when it started snowing, they'd meet up to fight. They'd run straight up a tree for about ten seconds, then swap trees and keep going, never hitting the ground.
When they finally stopped, Naruto and Sasuke laid in the snow and panted beside each other in a strange sort of peace. The snow around them would usually melt because of all their heat. Naruto could picture it even now, as he got off of work for the last time. Usually, the workers came back after Christmas, but Naruto had training to do and missions to complete so he couldn't have a part-time job anymore.
Naruto rushed over to the store he'd seen Sasuke looking in and gazed over all the froggy goodness. He wrinkled his nose before finally deciding that Sasuke would like the coffee cup best - based on outward personality- and he could always use it for pencils, but Naruto thought that was too plain and bought him a stuffed frog instead. This way, he could imagine Sasuke hugging it close and thinking of him whenever they were apart.
He paid for the frog and was happy to discover he had plenty left over. He could eat ramen for a week, at least! Now he just had to give it to Sasuke without everyone else around to embarrass him. The Christmas party was Christmas Eve, but there would be too many people. Christmas was optimum but Sasuke would receive tons of gifts and his might be shadowed by a larger gift. That or he'd be mauled by fangirls waiting to see his reaction to their gifts from the bushes.
"Okay. I'll do it tonight," Naruto nodded. He wouldn't even package it. His gift was raw! Ha ha.
Despite his easygoing idea, he knew this would be super difficult. Would he even be able to do it face to face or would he be too embarrassed and just leave it on the doorstep? If he stayed, what would he say?
Before he knew it, his nervous thoughts had carried him to Sasuke's door - doorbell already pushed. Damn.
Sasuke's face was gift enough for Naruto. Pure surprise and insecurity, like he didn't know how to react. They hardly talked outside of sparring and the time afterwards. Naruto had never come to his house before. Then green encompassed his vision and he blinked in confusion.
"It's not in a box, and I don't have any paper to make it pretty, but this is for you. A Christmas present. I saw you looking at the frog stuff in the store when we were with Sakura and so... I worked hard and got this for you," Naruto kept his head down, too embarrassed to see how Sasuke was reacting.
Then he heard it. Sasuke was laughing. He was laughing down right hard. How dare he!?
"Look, teme! I know it's not great, but you don't have to laugh at it!" Naruto yelled.
Sasuke wiped a tear from his eye and put a hand on the stuffed animal. He put his free hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"No, you idiot. I'm not laughing at the toy. You see... I was looking at the frogs because... I wanted to buy one for YOU," Sasuke admitted, still snickering.
Naruto's face instantly filled to the brim with red. He grit his teeth and pulled the doll back.
"Fine. I'll keep the doll for myself since... since you don't want it," Naruto was saying things just to fill the silence. He was so embarrassed!
Naruto turned to leave but Sasuke snatched the doll. Naruto snapped around with a glare on, prepared to yell at him. Then Sasuke's head found his shoulder, and Sasuke's warm voice found his ears.
"This is the best present ever," he said. "I like it a lot, especially without the box and paper."
Naruto was speechless. He just stood there like some kind of idiot, waiting for something to happen. Sasuke lifted his head and let his lips slide over Naruto's in a very chaste kiss. Naruto blushed again when Sasuke's dark eyes caught his own.
"Do you like me like that?" Sasuke asked quietly. Either he was embarrassed, Naruto's ears died with his will, or Sasuke was afraid of any possible wandering fangirls. Naruto bet on the first one.
Naruto nodded numbly. Sasuke smiled and kissed him again, this time receiving a kiss in return. With that done, Sasuke let Naruto inside his house to give him his own froggy Christmas present.
– – – –
"Ahaha!" Sakura giggled at her party two days later. "You have no idea how many times he dragged me to that ramen stand! He wanted to see you but was too embarrassed to go in by himself! What a softie, right? And he didn't know why you needed money, but he tried to nearly foot your entire paycheck with all the ramen he bought! Aah-ha!"
Perhaps she was drunk. Perhaps she was full of sugar. Or perhaps she was glad Sasuke was with a guy instead of another girl. Either way, Sakura was more than supportive and her ranting made Naruto happy because it made Sasuke blush.
"Merry Christmas!" Sakura cheered, running off to cheer with Ino.
"Merry Christmas, softie," Naruto teased.
"Shut up," Sasuke replied, avoiding eye contact. His face was all red. Naruto knew it was just his way of saying 'Merry Christmas, love.' It wasn't a big fancy Christmas, but it was enough. At least they weren't celebrating alone, right?