Naruto leaned over the coffee table to get a better look at me. I was on the verge of puking, and had a fever that someone could fry an egg on with ease.
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked me, worried.
"Yes." No...
I wasn't feeling well in the slightest; I'd spent the latter part of the previous day running around in the pouring rain trying to find the perfect gift, and once I'd found it I had to walk halfway across town to get back to my apartment, for God's sake! ...but, he didn't need to know that. No, I wouldn't tell him that.
"Why do you even bother lying to me, bastard?" he murmured softly. He was getting more than a little anxious now. His eyebrows were all contorted and I wanted to smooth them over with my fingers, but instead I kept my hands to myself.
It was never intentional when I lied to him; my lies just sort of spewed out of my mouth at random intervals. If I tried I'm sure I might be able to remedy it – at least, for a while – but I really didn't have any intent to.
It's not like I did it to hurt him. It was always just the opposite. He was the most fragile-minded person I'd ever known, and I didn't want to be the one to break him... so I lied. Of course, it always backfired and I always ended up hurting him when I did – that little contortion of his eyebrows always gave him away – and I always felt terrible.
"I... don't know," I said, lying again.
"Sasuke..." He got up from the lounge chair and moved his way over to the couch I was sitting on with a blanket draped over me. He cupped my cheeks in his hands, "Tell me what's wrong... please?"
I didn't respond to the question, but I looked him in the eye. I found nothing in them but absolute, unadulterated worry – something that I didn't want – and... something else? Distract him! my thoughts sang. "Go into the kitchen, and look in the top cupboard on the far left."
"What?" He was very confused, but I just smiled weakly at him.
He dropped his hands from my face, and followed my directions.
A few crashes later – my winces shortly following after every last one of them – and he managed to find it: my gift. He'd know very soon what it contained: this little, soft cloth rose, that Naruto had had his eyes on for way too long.
He walked back into the living room holding the present, wrapped in obnoxiously orange paper, and a navy blue bow. "What's this?" he asked, searching my eyes for any kind of clue. I had to look down, and fight back a blush.
"Just open it, stupid." He complied easily.
I didn't want to watch his face – I didn't know what to expect – so I looked everywhere but him as he tore through the wrapping paper. What I hadn't quite expected was for him to drop the gift box, nor for myself to be leaped on. He immediately snuggled into my chest once contact was made, and mumbled something into my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, and laid my head against his.
"You're going to have to say that again, loser."
"I said, 'I love you, you fucking bastard.'" He snuggled into me again, and I tightened my arm around him.
"Happy one year anniversary, Naruto." I said quietly. "...I love you." I had never actually said those words before: 'I love you', even though I thought it was quite obvious in every action, every word I said. It occurred to me when I was walking home yesterday that I'd never actually told him, my Naruto, that I loved him.
"I know," he said simply. He just looked up, and smiled at me. It was definitely worth the rain to see that gorgeous smile.
I twisted around, and I draped the blanket around us both.
The present that I'd agonized over, and gotten sick over, and blushed over, laid almost completely discarded on the floor. I couldn't bring myself to care.
AN: Thank you so much for coming up with the title, Sam. Thank you for critiquing my drabble too, Ama. It's much appreciated. Love!Love!Love!