Happy New Year by fang_shinobi
A Holiday Fic
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.
A/N: Resubmitted from my collection of one shots, MBF. I've taken it down and reposted each one shot.
It's late for New Years coz it's late.
…
"I can't believe they drank themselves to sleep again this year," she remarked as she gingerly walked over the almost empty wine bottles and limp limbs strewn about the carpet around the coffee table. The particular group of unconscious drunks had drunk wine and sung karaoke songs for hours before they started fainting like flies or drifting off to the tune of off-key Jingle Bells.
Every year, her group of friends would spend Christmas with their respective families, but they would all gather for New Year and spend the night doing idiotic things to celebrate the occasion. Last year, they climbed Mt. Fuji just for the heck of it. Someone still managed to sneak alcohol into the trip though and gotten themselves drunk and knocked out in the stations. Only a few got to view the sunset from the summit.
This year's New Year, along with the couple of days prior, was spent on this awesome mountain ski lodge, which was far away enough from civilization to ensure that the morons wouldn't make the same mistake again. Hard drinks like beer and whiskey were definite no-nos. Who would've thought that they'd get drunk from the wine or succumb into the lures of slumber even with the incomprehensible wailing that was supposed to karaoke singing? And an hour before sunrise, damn it!
And she was stuck cleaning up.
She picked up the bottles and threw them into a garbage bag, grumbling to herself. She could just imagine one of these dorks waking up and tripping on one of the wine bottles. She'd probably laugh herself to death if that happened, regardless of whoever it was going to be, but she'd probably feel horrible afterwards if the poor schmuck ended up with his skull cracked open from the fall. Bunch of idiots, making her worry like that.
"And this was supposed to be a foolproof plan," she grumbled. She picked up a can of beer. What the hell was this doing here?
She threw on a few of the blankets on her companions and realigned some lolled back heads. They better thank her later on for saving them from stiff necks and sore shoulders.
"Look who's still awake."
She groaned, recognizing the annoying voice.
"So, you gonna tuck me in as well?"
She turned to glare at the source of the comment, who was lying on the sofa under a pile of blankets.
"Oh, sorry," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "did I wake you up?"
"Nah, I just automatically wake up at four in the morning – of course you woke me up! I never figured you were the motherly type though. Come to think of it, I could use a lullaby to get me back to sleep, Mommy."
She looked like she wanted to strangle him dead and dump his body in the garbage bin out back.
"Why don't you just get off your ass and help me clean up, you lazy bum?" she demanded, crossing her arms.
"It's New Years," he complained. "I thought we were supposed to throw away our worries and chill for once. And here you are fussing and bitching again, you old nag."
She pursed her lips in irritation, glaring at him.
"Room service?" he suggested.
She continued glaring.
"Fine, fine," he conceded after a few more seconds. He dug his way from under the heap of blankets, accidentally kicking what appeared to be the occupant of the other side of the sofa, buried deep under the covers and could have been dead for all he cared.
She shoved a garbage bag into his hands when he'd gotten himself out. "Start cleaning up."
He rolled his eyes as he obediently did as he was told.
When the garbage bags were filled up, she sent him to the kitchen to dispose of them. He grumbled audibly as he did so.
She slapped her hands together, satisfied at their work. Though everyone was knocked out cold and lying all over the place, they at least looked more presentable now, with all the trash cleaned up.
Unfortunately, someone had stepped on a fruitcake. Someone else spilled champagne all over the rug. One of the poor idiots was presently drooling all over the sofa. She'd have to leave the rest of this to room service. They would probably demand extra for this mess.
"It's almost dawn."
She turned to see him at the doorway, holding up a bottle of wine.
"I thought I told you to throw that out-"
He shook the bottle, and the liquid inside made an audible swishing sound. It was full.
He held up two wine glasses. "Cheers?"
"Cheers yourself," she scoffed. "We're the only two people conscious enough to watch the sunrise in time, and you want to get us drunk as well?"
"Pft." He approached, popping the bottle open. "C'mon, don't tell me you can't handle a little wine."
"That's not the point."
He set the glasses on the coffee table and filled them both with the ruby-colored liquid.
He held one of the glasses out to her.
"No."
"You haven't taken a single sip all night. It's not like a glass can get you drunk now, can it? Unless… you really can't take alcohol? If that's true, you may as well admit it. It's like being lactose intolerant. We won't tease you for it – Hey!"
She grabbed the glass and gulped down its contents, taking the expression 'bottoms up' to a whole new level.
"Slow down!" he exclaimed, wrenching her hand away. The glass was already empty though.
"See, I'm fine," she said, her face an unusual rosy color.
"You sure you're not drunk?"
"Sure, sure." She hiccupped. The unusually unfocused expression on her face said otherwise. She was drunk. Like I-can-faint-any-second-now drunk.
"That did it," he groaned, slapping a hand on his forehead.
Looking at the glass door leading to the terrace, he saw the pale pink line emerging between the mountain peaks and the dark sky.
"It's about time now," he said, leading her by the arm out into the veranda. "You'll probably kill me if you miss it."
Turns out, stepping out into the terrace was both a good idea and a bad idea. The pro was that it sobered his drunk friend up, snapping her awake. The con was that the chilly wind easily penetrated through their thin clothing and felt like cold needles against their skin.
"Aw, damn, what the hell is going on?" she demanded, disoriented, as he held her in place.
"S-sunrise," he stuttered in the cold.
Just then, the sun showed itself, filling the dark sky with its light and brightening up the entire landscape. It almost even seemed as if it had gotten warmer.
The first sunrise of the year. And thank god they didn't miss it.
"Show's over," he said, finally turning away as the sun fully reclaimed its throne in the sky. He was surprised to see an awe-struck expression her face, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly at the sight.
"Oi, oi, what're you doing? Want to go blind?" he said, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her away from the sun.
He was about to lead her back in when she suddenly said, "Wait."
"Wha-" He was caught off guard when her lips met his in a quick smack.
"Thanks," she said, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a tight squeeze. "Happy New Year."
He stared at her, dumbfounded. "Temari?"
She just smiled and rushed back into the room.
"Huh? It's over already?" asked one of their friends, blond and haggard-looking, as he approached the open veranda door, yawning. He shivered slightly as a sudden cold breeze blew past him.
"…Did you see anything?"
"Uh, no, missed everything."
"Good." He stepped back in, finally realizing that he must've been freezing outside. "Oh, yeah, Happy New Year," he greeted his blond friend with a pat on the shoulder.
"Yeah, Happy New Year, Shikamaru."
End
A/N: This was initially meant to be submitted just before New Year's two years ago, but back then, I lost the hard copy and had to continue it from scratch. I think it's improved now though. But I sort of forgot about it for a long time, hence the long period between the actual creation and the submission.
Hehe, sorry, Shikatema haters. You can imagine some other characters in their place instead if you want. Won't bother me.
Please review. Sankyu!