A/N- This is just a story that's been on my mind for a while. The scenario is something I'm sure isn't new at all but here's my spin on it. Please be patient with me. All grammar issues are mine..
Full Summary- Uzumaki Naruko has been living on her father's precious farm for years now. She's a 12 year old girl with big dreams to go to the big city, but she doesn't want to go there just yet. You see her father, Uzumaki Naruto, is a very stubborn man. No matter how strong he acts or how much of a valiant face he puts on, he is somewhat lonely deep down. What's a girl to do with a homosexual father that refuses to accept his sexuality? Wish and scheme, bringing an unfortunate raven in the mix.
Warning- (AU, Maybe MaleXMale, drama, love, daughter, hate, secrets, bonds, southern, adventure, cliche country phrases, dancing and more)
Pairings- NaruSasu, GaaraNaruko, HinaKiba, KakaIruk and maybe others.
Disclaimer- All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, not me.
The smell of sweet vanilla birthday cake filled the little scarlet house out on the prairie with the two matching barns beside it. The half eaten dessert was set inside the home on a wooden table adorned with a snappy picnic cloth and three matching chairs around in the late 40's styled kitchen. A very small birthday celebration had clearly taken place judging by the blown out number twelve candle and undiscarded plates with bits of crumbs on it. The messy inhabitants responsible were turned in for the night, not so plagued about what they left behind.
We pan past the old time living room, dining area and up the creaky scarlet carpeted stairs, passing portraits of the blonde owners. The hanging frames exhibited a timeline age sequence that started with a very young teen holding his baby girl to divergent settings showing how they grew together. At the top of the stairs were separate paths. One led to the now snoozing father's room while the other led to the awaiting daughters quarters.
On rosy knees was how she sat on her springy bed that was embellished by a plush and colorful quilt covering. Near her open window was where she faced, palms rested on her sunflower nightgown patiently. She was watching her pet fox, Kurama, chase it's old raven friend around a tree. They were two of her favorite animals, plus a rabbit.
"Be careful!" She shouted tenderly with her hands cupped over mouth. A yip sounded from her pet before it continued it's chase.
Then quicker than a struck match, a shooting star shot across the night sky like it was a lightly tossed baseball. The young girls milky caramel eyes shut tighter than the breath she held at that very moment. Peachy skin upon drawn whiskered cheeks reddened as her fingers gripped the dresses frilly fabric. The chill from the wind nipped at her exposed flesh and cut through her shoulder length golden strands but she didn't waver.
She had to make another wish.
A wish that was no different than the one she'd made before she blew out her candles this same night. Her father always told her that there was some magic in this world if you're lucky enough. The star was that evidence of her luck so she didn't dare waste it. She upped the ante and made the same inclination again as confirmation that that was what she truly wanted.
"Please, please, please, please for my daddy!" She begged with clasped hands together, bringing them up to her forehead, orbs still shut with tears dancing on her elongated lashes. One final 'please' blew from her cherry blossom lips before she shifted under the covers, brown eyes ajar just to flicker back close.
What was this child's desperate wish and why the need? If it's not too obvious already then you'll see soon enough.
And so the night has ended and a new day has begun. The cry of the rooster trumpeted for the dawn of the sun and alerted it's caretakers. Not everyone shared the cockerels enthusiasm. There was one ebony horse that whinnied out of exasperation, shaking its mane and stomping its hooves. A few pigs got rowdy in their pins, oinking and bustling around eager for breakfast already. The sheep's stayed huddled together, sleeping still. What lazy little things. Even the few chickens and cows continued to slumber.
The not so little girl anymore had adopted their morning ethics. She grabbed a fluffy pillow and crushed it over her ears, blocking out the cock-a-doodle-doo and bunching up into a ball. As much as she loved the farm, there were others thing that tugged her heart. She'd rather hear a train or a buffet of cars zooming by. There was a need for the booming, complaining voices of everyday people, car horns from taxis and late employee's road raging.
The city life was something she could only read, watch and dream of. It was that new, bold and lively adventure she oh so wanted to experience. Her father on the other hand, wasn't so keen to such living. He liked their little life the way it was, quiet, private and about as safe as getting hit by a truck made of cotton. To him it couldn't get any better than this.
Uzumaki Naruto was the proud parent of his equally modest daughter named Naruko. As you can see, he wasn't good at naming at the time. He still isn't quite good at it but that's besides the point! He was up as soon as the first lyric to his birds theme pierced the silence. The navy bed sheets were tossed out of the way like they meant nothing the night before. He had a spring in his step, cherry swirled boxers rustling as he stood and stretched, resembling a tanned olympus god with saffron for a hair shade and a jagged puffy style.
He moved with the speed of a youngster and strength of man. To be fair, he was only 27.
That was still kind of young considering his daughter's age. He made up for it with his life experiences. He'd been through it all. He'd been an orphan, a victim of bullying, heartbreak and early parenthood. Parenthood was actually what he loved the most out of all that suffering. His little lass was his Helianthus. His beautiful sunflower that carried a warm summers breeze everywhere she went.
He smiled genuinely at the county fair picture he'd taken with her the moment she could walk. Both were covered in mud from the games, hugging and grinning at the camera like they were unstoppable...How time passed.
He side stepped from the dresser that had said portrait rested on top. He then pulled it open and set out today's work clothes which consisted of bright blue jeans, a white tank and a orange/blue plaid buttoned shirt. A shower commenced afterwards followed by blowing drying of his hair and the brushing of his teeth along with other morning routines before getting dressed and slipping on those worn cocoa cowboy boots.
The eager man then hurried out of his room and down the stairs, shouting in a dense country accent, "Up and at'em baby girl! We've got work to do!" He jumped down the rest of the way, floor rumbling at the weight.
"But Daddy I'm tired! I just ain't got the good lords strength in me to be pulling those poor cows bitties today." She whined back in her country way too, pushing the pillow off to hear a burst of laughter from her father that always made her want to cackle as well. Milking really wasn't her favorite thing to do and she always felt like it was hurting them.
"Alright now, but you've got twenty minutes then I want that kiester down her quicker than a snake's strike, you hear me!" He crossed his arms at the foot of the stairs, sleeves rolled up to the elbow.
"Yeah, yeah I'll be down faster than a...than a..a ..The snake thing, daddy!" Naruko mumbled tiredly, giving up.
The man shook his head, not understanding why his girl was such a slug in the morning. A knock on the door drew his attention away. A good guess about who it was was already in his noggin. He approached the alabaster wood, unlocked the brass knob and pulled it. He stood corrected. There in the doorway was not the mail boy that he'd thought it be. Instead it was his daughter's best friend, Hyuuga Hinata.
A fair skinned girl with midnight purple cut hair that stopped below her ears and shielded a set of pale amethyst. She was a shy thing around him. Always fidgeting and turning redder than his tomato patches just like now.
The gal trembled something fierce with a neatly wrapped, pink polka dot present in her small hands.
"Afternoon, Hinata." He said kindly, simpering with a hand out into his abode, inviting the girl in. For a split second he thought the girl was going to faint from the way she leaned in involuntarily, so he kneeled and wrapped those strong and sympathetic biceps around her out of concern.
"Are you alright, darlin? Did you walk here or something?"
Hinata could of died a happy woman right there. She nodded her head and gasped, struggling between clinging on to the package and the man that had just swept her off her feet literally. Her heart ba-thumbed and her mind raced the beat as she was sat in the kitchen chair since it was closest.
"You go on rest your bones and help yourself to some cake if you want. It should still be good. I'll get you something to drink! I hope that box isn't for my little hellion by the way?" Naruto carried the conversation with no problem, moving over to the kitchen counter and getting a decorated cup out from the cabinet above. Being a light hearted man, he loved to make people comfortable by all means.
"N-No and yes," She managed to get out without a squeak, setting the gift on the table and continuing with, "It's f-for you! My dad w-wanted me to give you this for h-her as a l-late birthday present."
"That's awfully thoughtful of him, but being a man that usually doesn't get much, I hope ye' don't mind if I ask why?" He turned around with the mug of water, handing it to the stuttering lass and taking a seat across from her.
"W-We wanted to thank you f-for your help during the d-dry season! You were t-the only one that s-shared with us e-even though you h-had little yourself." The girl beamed, taking a sip of water as the gentleman across from her picked up the the present.
"Nah, I was just doing what was right." Everyone was in need of help during that horrible time. It was only fitting to see his friends and neighbors through it. Still, it was hard expecting something he didn't really work for. He shook the box lightly near his ear, having a pretty good idea what it was since the girls parents owned a jewelry store.
"A-And so are we."
"Well I thank you, Hyuuga and your pappy. I'll give it to her when she get's her poky behind-"
"I'll go get her, sir!" Naruto was cut off by surprise that only furthered when the girl dowsed the rest of the water like it was air and then sprinted off like a track star. He had to double take in his seat to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. "Um, thanks?"
Hinata caught her breath at the top, peeking down every now and then to make sure he wasn't coming up. With a relieved sigh and a fastened smirk, she straightened herself out. She couldn't help it that the man made her body temperature skyrocket. If her bud had been downstairs she could of managed better in his presence. Blaming it on the blonde girl, she slowly opened the door and creeped in, tiptoeing to the bedside.
Payback was in order and about to be served up wet.
She placed a index finger in her mouth, soaking it with her tongue. She then took it out with a subtle pop and let it hover above the sleeping girl's ear before prodding it in there.
Naruko knew what is was and who was causing it the moment the unpleasant squishy feeling made contact. That didn't stop her from screaming and bolting around in bed like she'd just been whipped with a switch though. Tanned fingers grasped onto her quilt that she used as a device to get the disgusting ick out.
"Ew, ew, ew, ew!" She cried, digging in her ear, not liking the damp feeling one bit.
Her friend was laughing her ass off of course. "Oh my god, your face!"
"That wasn't funny!" The blonde lass snarled and threw one of her many mustard colored pillows at the other girls smug visage.
"You should of been up earlier then, Sunny!" Hinata pulled nickname rank, continuing to snicker her little lungs out while on her rear on the floor as the headrest struck her face. She was a completely different person like anyone would be around their BFF.
"You are so gross, Hinata!" Like her father, she couldn't come up with good names or comebacks so she didn't bother to try most times. She did eventually join in the laughter for a second before dropping back on her back and gazing out the open window at the water painted sky, starting to wonder about her wish.
"Hey, watcha lookin' at, applejack?" The girl in the khaki hoodie crawled up onto the bed next to her friend, taking an indian style position, forgetting about the birthday gift.
"Oh nothin, twilight sparkle. I'm just admiring that there apple tree over yonder. Mighty fine work if I do say so myself," Naruko combated that time with her best impersonation of the character , giggling at their my little pony banter.
"Oh, har-har! You're waiting on the paper-sand boy again, huh?" Hinata teased, poking her buds ribs.
"Ow, ow, heh-heh, no, stop! I'm looking out for something else!" The blonde gal admitted, earning a brief end to the poke attacks.
"Go onnnn."
"Fine, but you can't tell my dad! Promise?" She held up her pinky that was hugged by another without hesitation.
"I promise...Unless your dad asks me to marry him." And that got her a second pillow to the face.
"Nasty! He's like in his twenties. That's like a guinea pig and horse getting together. Somebody's gonna turn to dust before their mate hits puberty, plus I don't want to call you mom!" Naruko said incredulously, chuckling at the returned cushion that missed it's target pretty pathetically. Her purple-y friend had no aim whatsoever, even at point blank. She then got up off the bed and closed the door incase they were speaking to loud.
"Psh, I bet in another life we are married with two or more kids !" The love-struck girl giggled and blushed, falling to her side to hug the pillow she'd missed with.
"Yeah, and I'm pa's genderbent version in that timeline as well. I call horse shit."
"Ugh, you have no faith!"
"Yes I do!" The blonde chick eased back down on the bed, rolling her buddy to her back. "I believe! I believe so much that I made a wish last night with my birthday candles. Then I made the same one again when a shooting star appeared!"
"You saw...a star?!" Hinata batted her eyes, completely flabbergasted. "No way!"
"Yes way! It was like the gods were playing baseball with the stars and then I caught the winning one!" She grinned, showing off her luck.
"Whatever, It was probably just a meteor or something." The doubting girl's comment gives you an idea of what the kids are learning in school...
"No, it was a star! It was magical too and it-"
"Spare me the fairy tale, Sunny. Tell me what you wished for!"
Naruko rolled her eyes at her impatient besty and glanced back out at the heavens. "You know how I plan on leaving with Gaara to the city when I turn 17?" She paused and looked down to the listening lass whom nodded. "Well, I don't want my daddy to be all alone when I go so I wished for him to find his soulmate."
"Say what now?! Girl, your prayers have been answered! I'll be right back!" Hinata jumped up jokingly just to be pulled back down laughing, bouncing slightly because of the mattress.
"I'm serious, Hinata! I want my dad to find love! Real love that he can hold and kiss without going to jail for it, ha-ha! Besides, you know my daddy don't like girls!" She chuckled, pinching her partner in crime.
"OW! Hey, that may be true but he still...takes my breath awaaaay!" The love struck child song out playfully, leaning back on her friend and glimpsing out the window. This was all in good fun. She knew that she could never be with her friends intrepid father.
Dreaming never hurt no one though.
"Okay, okay, but all jokes aside, Hinata…. Do you think it'll come true? Be honest. It might be too soon to ask for such a thing..." Naruko bit her petite bottom lip, watching her buddy usher over to the window sill curiously. She took that time to get her charm bracelet out the nightstand drawer. It was a silver winding chain with decorative pendants hanging from it. There was a sun that represented her dad, a sunflower for her, a moon crest for buddy Hinata, a symbol of love in japanese for her crush, a barn for the animals and a dog collar for Kurama. She slipped it on, loving the jingle it always made when it clanked together.
"Uh, that depends, did you happen to ask for a princess, Sunny?"
Copper orbs widened as she fumbled her way onto the sill, almost falling out if it weren't for Hinata catching her shoulders. Her jaw then dropped at the sight of her father outside talking to what appeared to be an extremely flat chested woman in an elegant, slim and cherry wedding gown with shimmering jewels adorned around her odd waist and wrist of her complimenting smoky gray, elbow length gloves.
She wore a silver crown instead of a veil to show off her flawless moonlight skin that glowed even in sunlight, giving the impression she or he was mystical. Her unbelievable beauty and toned bone structure was what made the blonde girl realize that this was no woman at all.
This was her wish.