Originally posted as a chapter in the story Oblivious, though it was never a part of said story, but a one shot, which is why I've finally gotten off my bum and decided to move it to it's "own" story.
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Snow Day
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There had been a chill in the air around Konoha lately, with just the barest hint of frost on the wind. Though people had long since begun to pack themselves in layer upon layer of warm clothes, there had not yet been any sign of snow.
Before Naruto had slipped into his bed one night, he had looked out of his window and scrunched up his face at the heavy rain.
It had been freezing outside the whole day and the sky had been roaring, sending heavy showers of rain to the ground. The icy wind, which had been biting his nose and cheeks all day, had been whispering promises of snow to him.
But looking outside there was still no snow, nor any sign of it. There was only heavy rain, soaking every living thing to the bone and making everyone grumpy.
Naruto pouted at the rain one last time, before he crawled under the covers of his bed and curled up to sleep, to the sound of rain beating against the roof.
...
When Naruto awoke in the morning, it was to the sound of silence. That same kind of muffled silence as you would hear, if your ears were full of cotton.
Weird, Naruto thought to himself. The light streaming in through his window, clearly indicated that it was morning and that the rain had stopped. So why was the usually busy street outside so quiet?
The blond wrapped his duvet around himself and crawled to the edge of the bed, to peek out of the window. He froze in the middle of a yawn and sprang to his feet, eyes wide.
"Holy sh-!"
Through his window, he saw the village of Konoha, covered in a thick layer of the softest looking snow, while large, fluffy snowflakes continued to fall from the sky.
Naruto took a long moment to watch the snowy world outside, before he grinned widely and turned on his heel, rushing to get dressed, nearly tripping over yesterday discarded clothes on the floor, in his haste.
He got out the warmest clothes he could find, his thickest coat and his warmest mission boots. Pulling his favourite hat over his ears and his gloves on his hands, he bounced out of the door.
Outside on the street, Naruto took a moment to feel the gentle touch of snow falling on his cheeks. It felt almost ticklish as the large snowflakes landed on his nose, making him scrunch his face on reflex.
...
It wasn't often that Konoha got this much snow and Naruto couldn't actually remember when the last time had been, but he was going to make sure to enjoy it as much as he could, before it all melted away again.
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The blond had been walking through the quiet streets for a while, enjoying the feeling of snow under his feet and all around him, all the while a giddiness brewed deep inside of him.
Eventually, his excitement became too hard to contain, and all the energy he had been holding back, came rushing out of him, as he began jumping around and kicking at the piles of snow around him.
His almost childish joy and laughter echoed through the quiet streets, and the sound began to lure more and more people out from the warmth of their homes, to share in his fun.
...
The rumbling sound coming from his stomach, reminded Naruto that he had yet to eat breakfast, and when the kids he had been playing with began laughing, he chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck embarrassedly. The blond waved goodbye happily to the group of kids and set off in a run towards Ichiraku Ramen.
Now, ninjas are very skilled at many things, but even the best of ninjas, can slip on a snowy path in a moment of inattentiveness, and Naruto was no different.
Completely focused on the delicious and warm bowls of ramen, he would be filling his stomach with very soon; Naruto suddenly felt his feet slipping on an icy patch under him. Unable to regain his balance, the whiskered ninja felt himself gliding across the ground at a surprising speed and let out a yell, when he realised he was about to hit someone.
"Hinata! Look out!"
Hinata startled and turned her head towards him, only managing a surprised yelp, before Naruto crashed into her, and sent them both falling to the ground.
The blond caught the pale eyed woman around the waist and tried to twist them, so he would take the brunt of the fall, and with a soft thump, they landed, sending a cloud of snow into the air.
The cold snow on the back of his neck sent shivers through the blond, while the warm weight of Hinata on top of him, seemed to send warm sparks through his heart.
Naruto grinned embarrassedly, and looked up at the woman above him, "I'm really sorry Hinata, I couldn't stop, I-"
As he looked at her, he suddenly forgot what he had been meaning to say, and the world began to slow down, until the only thing he was aware of, was Hinata.
Snowflakes had caught on her dark eyelashes, making everything about her bright eyes sparkle so much more. Her pale cheeks were flushed prettily from the cold, and her lips looked softer than the snowflakes falling into her long hair, which was tickling his cheeks.
Even through their thick coats, Naruto could feel the pressure of Hinata's amble chest, pressing against his own, as they breathed, but rather than making him feel embarrassed or guilty, the touch made him feel almost safe and warm, protected.
The scent of lavender reached his nose, as a rumbling voice called out from a place deep inside of him. The voice was muffled at first, but slowly coming closer and getting louder, until it was a roar, which filled his head, "Oi Kit! Focus!"
The world began moving again, as quickly as it had stopped, and the sound of birds chirping, boots walking through snow and people talking filled his ears.
He shook his head a little and blinked his eyes a few times, before a soft voice spoke close to his head, "Naruto-kun, are you alright?"
Hinata was leaning over him, searching his face with a worried frown on her forehead, and a hand hesitantly reaching out towards him.
Naruto felt lost for a moment, thoughts flying through his mind, as he tried to figure out how to respond to the caring voice.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata spoke more firmly, and her hand finally touched his cheek "C-can you hear me?"
Naruto felt heat spreading through his body, from where her hand touched his skin, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"Ehehehe, sorry, I'm fine Hinata" he grinned up at her, as her worried expression melted into relief, "It's cold, huh?"
Hinata nodded with a smile and removed her hand from his cheek, making the blond feel slightly disappointed, until she reached out her hand again, offering to help him up.
"W-were you in a rush Naruto-kun?" the dark haired woman asked, as she helped the man up from the snow, holding onto his hand a little tighter than necessary.
"Oh uhm.. hehehe," Naruto grin turned slightly embarrassed again, "Not really, I was just on my way to Ichiraku and I guess I got a little too excited and sorta slipped"
Hinata giggled softly, which made Naruto think he'd happily slip again, if it would only make her continue to smile like this.
He noticed the slight shiver in the woman's shoulders and realised they were still standing in the deep snow.
"A-are you busy Hinata?" he asked and when she shook her head with a questioning look, he continued quickly, "I got you all covered in snow, and I'd like to make it up to you! Come with me to Ichiraku Ramen, it'll be my treat and we can get warm and please-let-me-make-it-up-to-you-ttebayo!"
The rush of words falling from the blond's mouth made Hinata giggle softly, while the invitation made her blush. "A-alright Naruto-kun, I'd like that," the pale eyed woman said, smiling gently.
"Great!" Naruto grinned happily.
As they walked towards Ichiraku Ramen together, neither of them seemed to notice; that they had not yet let go of each other's hands. Or maybe, they just didn't care.
...