Hello everyone :D
This is my third fill for the winter meme over at LJ; I couldn't very well pass up the chance since I could choose the second character. :P
Nothing much to add, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but what I wrote.
Ja ne,
Temari 88
Cold Hands
Night was falling fast, the sky was rapidly turning dark even if it was only 6 pm - but it wasn't unusual for a winter in Konoha: after the start of December, light started to disappear quicker.
Naruto stepped out from the warmth of the Hokage Tower where he had been cooped up until then. He stood at the entrance, stretching his cramped muscles and working out some of the knots that had formed on his neck and shoulders - he wasn't used to sit for long periods of time and still even less used to stay hunched, with his neck bended to read at papers. He released a softly spoken curse as he crooked his head to the left and felt it pop three times, "Damn that old hag..." he said, finally straightening up and exhaling loudly, his breath forming a white cloud in front of his eyes as the hot air met the cold one.
"You should thank her." Naruto turned towards the speaker, fixing his exasperated and annoyed look on the pale face of his friend.
"How can you say that, Gaara? She freaking punched me four times and almost crushed my neck...!" he whined - not that he would admit he was whining, but still - waving his arms for emphasis effect and trying to elicit a compassionate reaction out of Suna's leader—no such luck.
Gaara started walking away from the Tower, heading to the more central area of the village. "You couldn't stay still and you managed to rip two mission reports, overturned the ink ruining a request for new supplies and you drank all of Tsunade-sama's sakè. It's a wonder you are still alive, Naruto." the blond, who had caught up with his friend, scrunched up his face as he remembered those episodes... everything had been a hundred times worse because Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage for crying out loud, had been there to witness his failures.
"Yeah... rub it in will you?" mumbled Naruto as he blew into his cupped hands to get rid of the cold that was starting to take a grip on them, the slight after-effects of the sakè had long since faded away and, while he didn't mind the winter air, he couldn't help the barely visible shiver that raked his body. Damn him, how could he have forgotten to take his heavier jacket? It was the middle of the freaking winter! "... Not like I did all those things on purpose, ya know."
"Yes, I am aware of that. You aren't that much of a fool, you simply are not used to such tasks." answered Gaara calmly, throwing a glance at the blond who was vigorously rubbing his hands together to create heath through friction. "You are lucky: I didn't have someone to patiently show me how to go about the job."
Naruto distantly nodded, too lost in his attempts at warming his freezing hands to put much effort on his responses to the red-haired. "I know, I know. It's frustrating, that's all."
"It will go worse as time goes by." commented the Kazekage, his green eyes still on the futile attempts at warming himself Naruto was making - the blond had reverted to blowing on them, his face was sorrounded in white clouds of condensed breath.
"Gee, thanks for the support...!"
"... But once you get used to it, it will be easier. You are a very versatile person, I'm sure you will find a way of doing your job without getting too bored." after saying that, Gaara stopped in the middle of the street and turned to Naruto; the red-haired reached into his coat and swiftly pulled out a pair of black gloves, extending his hand toward the other ninja and offering them without a word.
"Wha—" Naruto stared at the gloves, blinking.
"Take them." Gaara told him, leaving no room for arguing.
Taking the offered items, the blond akwardly put them on - they were a bit too tight, his hands were slightly larger than the Kazekage's. "Thank you..." he flexed his fingers, feeling the cloth doing its job, but then a thought struck him. "But, what about you?"
The two had started walking again, the hotel where the red-haired had rented a room wasn't too far away. "I don't need them; winters in Suna are colder than this, and I have the sand as a shield."
After that, they continued their walk in a companiable silence and five minutes later, thay had reached the hotel. Naruto made to take the gloves off but Gaara stopped him. "You can keep them, you need them more than I do, anyway." he paused before adding, "I think it would be better if you went stright home: you are not properly dressed to stay out in this weather."
Naruto smiled at that. "You're worried about me?"
Gaara raised an eyebrow. "Of course, you are my friend, are you not?"
The blond nodded, laughing, and rested a gloved hand on the other's shoulder. "Then, tomorrow, I'll buy you something as well, so we'll be even!" he waved goodbye and started running towards his apartment.