A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you're having a great day with your friends and families, and no matter where you are, I wish you all an amazing day! Well, this is a story for tumblr's secret santa and I hope you all can enjoy this! Have a wonderful day, and please, leave me Reviews!

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The frosty forest surrounding his cottage enveloped him in a perfect veil of peace. The white, compact blanket covered the entire scenery outside, and the silence provided by the abnormally cold, winter night was very much welcomed by his ears.

Peace

Serenity

Silence.

At that exact moment, the former avenger realized how his idea of renting a secluded cottage in the middle of nowhere had been, to say the least, enjoyable. For the end of the year was less than a week away, and for every single village he visited was pumped up for the festivities; Uchiha Sasuke found comfort in his own meditation. There were so many things that he still had to understand about his past, his present and what all those people really meant for him, and he figured that doing it alone would be a good idea. He was alone with his consciousness, and that was exactly how he intended to spend Christmas.

He, himself and the snow.

But it was christmas time, right? No one deserves to spend it alone.

The freezing breeze that managed to enter through the window's crack was the first thing that brought him back from his immersed state of mind. His senses slowly returned to that constant state of mess, and as he opened his dark orbs to acknowledge the empty space around him, a defeated sigh escape his lips.

Chaotic feelings were starting to disturb his inner peace, as he could listen to snow boots imprinting their marks on the virginal snow. Chakra levels were suddenly rising around the area and even if it was barely audible, his ears captured the increasing levels of annoyance approaching him with that characteristic "dattebayo".

There was certainly no escaping anymore.

Farewell, loneliness. And hello Uzumaki Naruto.

" Tch, I can't believe that bastard chose a place so far from everything-ttebayo."

That unnecessary loud voice entered his ears, causing his head to start throbbing in pain.

" Uhmm… Maybe traitor-kun wanted to deprive himself from the world and its happiness, after all. Maybe he doesn't want to be bothered by the contagious christmas spirit."

His hands started to shake in annoyance, as anger was now building up inside his veins due to the another unwanted guest.

" Bullshit, we came all the way to see him-ttebayo!" A strong knock was heard, causing the Uchiha's jaw to clench. " He will definitely like the surprise, believe me!"

The knocking continued, as a vein popped up in his forehead. Maybe, Sasuke thought, if he ignored those voices and convinced himself that they were a fruit of his imagination, then he would wake up from that loud, orange nightmare.

They were not real, for sure.

But they were certainly as annoying as the original.

" Oi! Teme! We know you're inside! Open up, it's cold-ttebayo!"

Nauto. Not real…

" Do you think he could be avoiding us because he's busy with someone else inside? Christmas is the perfect time for meaningless intercourse when you're basically all alone."

Sai. Not real…

"Uhm… In this case we should just leave him alone, guys. You know how Sasuke-kun is."

Sakura?

At the familiar voice of the pinkette, the Uchiha's eyes widened in surprise. It's true that he had felt the chakras approaching him, but for he lowered his own, Sasuke didn't have the chance to match the different levels to their respective owners. Knowing the girl was also there changed the whole thing, for unlike the other two, her presence was not unbearable. It never was.

Even if many were the times when he called her annoying, if there is one thing the Uchiha never doubted about her was her capability of creating a good and comfortable atmosphere whenever they were just the two of them. Her company has always been better than Naruto's, for he knew that, by her side, he could just relax.

By her side, he could find peace. And that's why, now that she was there, he couldn't simply let her go. Not her. Not Sakura.

Especially now that she could be actually thinking that he was accompanied by another girl.

Those two incompetents.

"No way! I'm his best friend! I'm more important than any chick! I'm going in by force-ttebayo!"

" Leave him alone, Naruto!" She said, glaring at the blonde. "He's probably jus-"

Her voice was cut as soon as the door was brutally opened by the Uchiha. His dark eyes were eyeing the blonde and if not for the current festive times, Sasuke would have definitely put his best friend under the worst genjutsu he knows. He didn't say a word, as he simply stood there, controlling himself not to murder the future Hokage and his replacement in front of the girl.

Some things never change, she thought.

" See." The blonde said, with a smirk on his face. " Told ya he was there-ttebayo."

" Tch." Sasuke cursed. " What do you want?" He said, slightly moving aside as the blonde made his way inside the cottage, holding a huge box in hands. He knew the Uzumaki didn't really care about a formal invitation, because, if he really needed that, the Uchiha would definitely leave him outside until he became an ice cube. They're both used to that impulsive way of the blonde, and in order not to cause unnecessary injuries, the raven haired boy simply allowed his friend to pass.

" Ah… And apparently, there are no signs of females around here. I guess traitor-kun really was all alone this christmas." Sai said, following Naruto as he held a tray of food in hands. As always, the socially inept boy simply followed his messed up instincts, taking the Uzumaki as an example to be followed.

Poor idiot, Sasuke thought.

" Shut up, you weirdo!" He sighed. There was no use in that.

" Hn, we've been here for less than 10 seconds and you three are already ruining the Christmas spirit- shannarou."

With a pout decorating her lips, the pink haired girl finally said. His eyes turned to her, as he eyed her from head to toe. She was wearing her red, furry coat that covered up to her mid-thigh and white pants that met their end inside her black, snow-boots. Her pink hair was filled with snowflakes, and her cheeks were red due to the cold weather. Her diamond shaped seal decorated her large forehead, and those big, bright emerald eyes of hers contrasted the entire monochromatic landscape.

As always, Haruno Sakura was beautiful, and now, as she simply looked at him, he could feel his own cheeks growing hotter.

Perhaps he was still not used to that whole new love thing he feels for her.

Yes. Call it Christmas magic or an epiphany but by the time his first winter away from the village arrived, Uchiha Sasuke was already aware of his feelings for Haruno Sakura. His discovery was still something relatively recent, yet he couldn't hold it all for himself. Months before, both the Uchiha and the Haruno had already taken the first step to what they could call a thing. It was still not something official and there was no way they would call it a relationship, but saying they were just friends was not something either of them could accept anymore. By that time, they were a lot more than nothing and a lot less than everything. By that time, they were just happy to have someone in their hearts.

By that time, he was just glad to have someone he could call home. And that someone was standing right in front of him, in the middle of the snow.

" Hey, Sasuke-kun… Merry Christmas."

"… Hn, merry Christmas, Sakura."

" So… Will you let me in or will you just leave me outside to freeze to death?"

His eyes widened at the same time, as he felt somehow embarrassed for the time he took staring at her. He probably looked like an idiot during those silent moments, but it was not like she cared or anything. During those moments, her eyes were also analyzing him and taking note on every new change he had suffered since the last time they met. She noticed how longer his hair had gotten and how his armless sleeve was a little ripped due to the conditions of his travels. She noticed how his eyes were warmer than before and she also noticed how much taller he had gotten. Almost one head taller than her, for sure.

Uchiha Sasuke had surely changed, she thought, as a soft smile crossed her lips. And at the same time she was happy for his evident improvement, the pinkette couldn't help but feel a bit sad for missing it all. There were so many things she had missed about him, and even if they exchanged letters regularly, there were always those small changes he didn't really pay attention to and that could not be described in words. Those were the changes she wished she could see the most.

Those were the changes that proved that their time was passing.

And even if those staring moments seemed to be trapped in time, they also came to an end.

" A-Aah… Come in, please." He took a step aside, and when she made her way inside, he couldn't help but feel the fresh scent of flowers and grass of her hair.

"Thank you."

" Hn."

After she offered him a tender smile, and after she took off her boots, both of them finally made their way to the central area of the cottage. There, their eyes were impressed to see how the other two had already taken over the entire place, for their things were already splayed around and a brand new kotatsu was placed in the middle of the room, close to the fireplace. The blonde himself was already warming himself up under those blankets, while the painter had uninvitedly started the preparations of whatever it was he had brought in those scrolls of his.

Apparently, much for Sasuke's liking, his teammates were going to spend more than just a few hours with him in his cottage. By the way they all seemed to be comfortably settling around, the Uchiha could tell they would, at least, spend the night with him, which, if not for the pinkette's presence, would be more than enough time for a war to be started. Children will always be children, for sure. And her boys were never an exception to that rule.

She just needed one look at them to see how nothing that they've all gone through actually meant anything to their maturity. While she was helping Sai with the food and the other preparations, both Naruto and Sasuke were arguing over the fact that the blonde could not simply enter houses as he pleases. Even if it was his best friend's house, he was not supposed to simply invade the places because it would be convenient for him.

The Uzumaki could not enter without knocking. Or at least that was what the Uchiha was trying to tell him in the middle of all those insults. A smile would crop on her lips every time she heard the word "Usuratonkachi" escaping the raven haired boy's lips, for it just proved her that her theory was right.

Her boys were still her boys.

And as long as they didn't destroy the turkey they had been preparing since Konoha, everything would be okay.

" Tch, shut up, teme! You should be happy to see me-ttebayo!"

" Happy? To see you? Never in a million years, dobe!"

" Eh?! That's it! We will never do this again, Sakura-chan! He doesn't deserve our presence here!"

" Hn, don't try to put her in the same place as you! Besides, what are you even doing here?!"

The blonde's blue eyes widened in shock before a glare was sent to the former avenger. For a moment, Naruto felt offended by his friend's words and simply turned his face away, with a pout decorating his lips. Apparently, their reason to be there should be obvious to everyone, especially to the Uchiha. No one should have to spend christmas alone, and that was probably the one thing both Naruto and Sakura worried the most about the Uchiha's journey to redemption.

During his travels, Sasuke was always alone and even if he said he preferred it that way, it was not possible that he didn't feel bad or lonely at all every now and then. Sometimes, it's normal for people to want to be around their friends and family, especially when the festive times are near. It's normal and not even the raven haired boy can escape those feelings.

Not forever.

And until he decided to admit it, the blonde was not going to waste his time on trying to explain the obvious.

" Oi, dobe. Aren't you going to answer me?"

" Hn, no."

" But that's already an answer, Naruto." Sai said, not taking his eyes from the recipe book he had borrowed from Kakashi.

" Tch, shut up, Sai!"

" Eh? What did I do?"

Letting out a defeated sigh, the girl finally decided to step in that argument. Dinner was almost ready and she didn't want to spend their entire time there in that uncomfortable silence. It would already be a weird christmas without a tree around, and celebrating it without love and friendship was not an option at all.

"Knock it off, Naruto." She said, approaching the Uchiha with a santa claus's hat she had brought in hands. " It's christmas and we're all spending it together."

" Then is this why you're here?" Sasuke asked, looking at her with tenderness in his dark eyes.

"Yep!" She smiled, putting the hat on her head. " Let's have a good time, okay? For me…"

Her big, bright orbs were looking at him with that pleading face he just could not resist. That, mixed with how cute she was wearing that hat, were enough things to completely change the Uchiha's mood and make something close to a smile appear on his face.

The power she had over him was something impressive. Not even Naruto had seen anything similar to it during his entire life, and it was something that always managed to impress him. Seeing that grumpy Uchiha easily succumbing to the cute pinkette's charm was just too heartwarming for him, for even he could see what was shaded in those little changes they provoked on each other. He could see a strong feeling growing in between them, but it was not his duty as a friend to tell them so.

His duty, as a friend, was to make fun of the Uchiha until he finally did something about his feelings.

" Hn, just because you're the one asking then." Sasuke said, looking away and scratching the back of his head.

" For you, Sakura-chan," The blonde stood up, placing a hand over the girl's shoulder. " I'm sure this bastard will do anything."

Sasuke glared at the blonde. " Naruto, you…"

" Don't you dare start again." She warned, turning her hand into a fist and lifting it as an evident threat. " I swear I'll punch you both back to the village-shannarou!"

As the original members of the powerful team 7 exchanged glares, the atmosphere around suddenly became denser. Those three are the new generation of sanin, and if they really decided to start a fight, the artist would definitely not live to finish his turkey. Last time, when only two of them fought, two arms were lost. That time, with her monstrous strength in the middle, chances were that not even Santa Claus would be able to identify their naughty parts.

Avoiding a fight would be, certainly, the right choice.

At least until new year, of course.

" Hn." Sasuke looked away, placing a hand on his hip.

"Whatever." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, inflating his whiskered cheeks.

"Appetizers!" The artist screamed, with a smile on his face as he lifted a gloved hand in the air.

" Perfect timing, Sai!" She gave up, throwing her hands in the air and walking away from the boys towards where she had previously placed the plates.

" You're welcome, Ugly. Though I would never get naked just for you like traitor-kun, I'm glad I could help you out of this situation filled with hormones."

A deep blush was spread across the girl's cheeks as she tried to look for comfort on the Uchiha's face. Her eyes where set on him, but instead of comfort, his embarrassed face only made her cheeks grow redder. The pinkette now didn't know where to hide her face anymore, for the picture of his naked chest just wouldn't leave her mind.

What a religious ceremony, she thought.

Maybe the silence wouldn't be that bad anymore.

And so, after her embarrassed face was seen by the three boys, the entire mood inside the cottage changed. Thanks to Naruto's contagious laughter and Sasuke's cocky smirk, the tension dissipated in the warmth of the fireplace. Eventually, the pinkette also succumbed to the joke, as her own heart became lighter at the simple sight of her best friends having a good time together.

The warmth of their smiles, the whole catching up and the trivial matters they were discussing made the Haruno girl feel like they had been given a chance to enjoy a day in innocence. They weren't talking about war, murderers or conspiracies against the village, and instead, they were making fun of Sai after he confessed feeling something for Ino, at the same time they were all enjoying the food prepared by the artist himself. At that moment, they allowed themselves to be happy and naive again, and to forget all about their suffering for an entire night. A night where they were celebrating their youth and all the things they once gave up in the name of the ninja path they once chose to walk through.

A christmas night.

On that night, they allowed themselves to live like normal people do. And seeing them so happy like that almost made tears fall from the pinkette's eyes. She knew better than anyone how they deserved a night like that, to drink as much as they wanted to and to talk whatever crossed their inebriated minds. They needed that night to be free and forget about their responsibilities at least once. They needed that night to celebrate, and she would make sure to take care of everything while their souls were at such dazzling state. She would endure all the responsibilities, all the troubling thoughts and all the traumas that constantly haunt their nights.

Haruno Sakura will endure it all, because that's what she does. She endures, and if she had to do it in order to make those three happy, then that was exactly what she was going to do.

On Christmas Night, more than on any other night, her duty was to make them happy. Happiness would be her present to them.

A present from the bottom of her heart to the children who had been nice for too long.

After hours of drinking, eating and laughing, the expected happened. The day after christmas had arrived and its primal hours were already filled with loud snores and sweet dreams coming from those who ended up succumbing to exhaustion. Unlike the deep state of sleep in which those two souls were found, it was possible to tell by the soft smiles on their sleeping faces that their hearts were lighter than a feather. With their stomachs filled with turkey and with blood still circulating among the high levels of alcohol, both Naruto and Sai were found sleeping sharing the kotatsu, with the empty bottle of sake still resting over it. Their mouthes were wide opened, and somehow, the santa hat she was wearing before was now over his golden locks.

What a silly boy, she thought, as she placed the covers over his body and caressed his blonde head.

He will be an amazing Hokage one day, she knows.

" Hn, you spoil him too much, Sakura."

" Oh, come on... He deserves it every now and then…"

" Tch."

Her green eyes slowly turned to face his dark ones, as she found him basically throwing the covers over the antisocial artist. With a smile on her face, she shook her head and stood up from her kneeling position, heading behind the balcony where the dirty dishes were pilled. As she had already foreseen, the boys' weak resistance to alcohol ended up leaving both her and the Uchiha alone in the deep, comfortable silence of the dawn. Together, they faced the cold water, washing the plates and the cutlery, getting rid of the mess caused by the christmas party. For they all knew they would be returning home early next morning, the Haruno girl figured that she should make sure they didn't cause any trouble for the Uchiha.

As always, he knew, she was the one taking care of their mess. She was ready to solve everything by herself, not bothering to share the responsibilities with the others. That is the Haruno Sakura he knows, but this time, he was going to give her a hand, weather she liked it or not. Since he was awake, it was the least he could do, right?

The whole dishwashing ended up being more quiet than any of them could have imagined. The flow of the water hitting the sink created a comfortable soundtrack, as they simply exchanged tender glances and soft touches, every time she asked him to place the plates on the holder so they could dry overnight.

It was a simple activity, yet it held more meaning than many other things.

It showed a side of them that had nothing to do with their powerful feelings or their contorted past. It showed that simple gestures could also belong to their lives, and that not everything between them had to be a tragedy. They could adjust to the ordinary life if they wanted to, and it wouldn't be that bad as long as they were together. They could be a normal couple if they really wanted to.

At least for that night, they could be normal.

" Would you like some tea?" She asked, drying her hands and holding the dish cloth so he could do the same.

" Aah… Thanks." He nodded, accepting her offer. " Do you want some help?"

" Nahh, don't worry. Could you just take a look around to see if I forgot something?"

" Hn." He nodded, walking towards the living room and looking around for any possible forgotten mess.

His dark orbs scanned the whole place, not finding anything messier than the blonde's sleeping position. The heat radiating from the still warm ashes helped break the cold a bit, creating a more pleasant temperature inside the cottage. It was still cold, but it was not unbearable. A blanket and the peppermint tea his nostrils identified would be more than enough to warm them up for the rest of the night as they talked for a little longer. It was not like any of them was actually sleepy at that moment.

After finishing his inspection, the raven haired boy found himself a comfortable spot against the wooden wall and sat down. One knee was lifted, as he rested his right arm over it and as his eyes darted to the pinkette. Sasuke could see the traces of a soft smile on her pinky lips, and for a reason he wasn't quite sure of, seeing her like that made him happy to have her around. It was not just because she was preparing him a mug of his favorite tea, but mainly because she was there and soon they would be able to enjoy each other's company in a more private way.

After the entire night together, they would finally be alone. And not even he could simply ignore how comfortable that idea felt.

At the clicking sound of the lights being turned off, his eyes started to follow as she approached him with two steaming mugs and her backpack. He watched as she approached him with no signs of hesitancy, and offered him his own mug. There was no flinching when their fingers brushed against one another, and his silent "thank you" was more than welcomed by the girl before she sat by his side. Their shoulders were less than a finger away, and he observed as she placed her own mug down before opening the backpack to get themselves two cozy blankets.

She really did think of everything, he thought, with a sly smirk on his face as they both adjusted their positions.

" Wahh… I can't believe christmas is already over…" She said, blowing the hot beverage before taking a sip.

" Hn, you must be tired from moving all day."

" A bit, to be honest… But we will survive. It was a nice christmas, after all." She smiled, looking down at her mug.

"Aah… It reminded me of that christmas we spent during our genin days, when Naruto wouldn't stop asking Kakashi what he would get for Christmas."

" Oh my! I remember that day!" A chuckle escaped her lips, as she turned to face him. " It was right after the chunin exams and Kakashi-sensei gave us all those socks!"

" Hn, yeah… I can't believe he actually thought children wanted that for christmas."

" He probably asked Gai-sensei for help."

" Definitely. It was a fun christmas, too."

" Yeah… But this time I guarantee you that you will get a better present than socks."

" Uh? What are you talking about?"

Without saying a word and without wiping that childish smile from her face, the pinkette once again placed down her mug and went to get something from her bag. In less than a second, her fingers found a small, green package with the name " Sasuke-kun" written on it. She, then, looked at him with those shiny emeralds of hers, offering him the package.

" Merry Christmas, Sasuke-kun."

Still with a surprised face, the Uchiha didn't really know how to react. He wasn't expecting her to come all the way to where he was to celebrate the holidays with him and still bring him a christmas present. For the first time during the entire night, Sasuke felt ashamed for having such a kind girl by his side. He's always known that, unlike him, Sakura's always cared for those simple details and made sure to do everything she could in order to deepen their bond.

She's always cared for the little things. And for that, he was thankful.

"T-Thank you… I didn't buy you anything, though." He said, opening the package, taking care not to rip the green paper. A small book was soon revealed, and he inspected the cover to search for more details.

" It's okay. I found this one at the bookstore near the hospital and I thought you might like it since it's pocket size and all." She leaned closer to him, pointing her index to the book. "The old man from the store said it has some details about the history of the village, and your clan is in it. I didn't read it, but I thought you would like it to kill some time during your journey."

Due to the proximity and the way her floral scent was taking over his senses, the Uchiha couldn't help but allow his heart to beat faster. Such an attentive and warm girl, who could literally destroy a mountain with her fists and yet use those same hands to prepare a delicious tea for the two of them was right by his side, giving him a present that had been especially chosen for him. She really is amazing, and her knowledge of his tastes and interests just makes her even more special to him.

She's not just a teammate and a close friend.

She's not just an excellent ninja and a kind girl.

She's everything mixed together, and at that moment, he couldn't help but succumb to his own inner will, not caring about her awareness or anything. During christmas night, he was going to be selfish enough to do something he really wanted to.

It couldn't be that bad for her, right?

Besides, It was not like they had never kissed before.

When her eyes finally turned to face him, her cheeks grew red as she realized he was leaning in closer to her face. His eyes were half closed and she could feel her own heart beating faster at such unpredictable, yet pure, gesture coming from her Sasuke-kun. She felt his body shifting, and before she knew it, her own body was also answering to his moves.

With a soft smile on her lips, Haruno Sakura was also leaning forward in order to kiss the love of her life. At that moment, both of them were in perfect synchrony and nothing else mattered. She could feel his hot breath tickling her lips, and he could feel her heart beating against the side of his shoulder. Their eyes slowly closed, and-

" Sakura-chan! Another bowl of Ramen-ttebayo!"

The sudden shout from the sleeping blonde caught them both by surprise, ruining the mood and sending them back to their original positions at the same time. Their eyes widened at first, but as they simply sat there, neither of them could avoid the embarrassment that tinged their cheeks in a deep red.

He had got to be kidding them.

Her hands were resting over her lap, as they both avoided eye contact. Murderous thoughts were crossing their minds, and if not for their state of embarrassment, the loud Uzumaki would have already stopped breathing.

That idiot. Couldn't he have stayed quiet for a little longer?

Even during his slumber Naruto still managed to stand in between them. And what kind of dream was he having, anyway?

Those questions started to take over the pinkette's mind, and soon, a defeated and truthful laughter escaped her lips. The Uchiha looked at her in confusion, as tears threatened to fall from her closed eyes due to the destiny's trick. Ironically, not even after taking care of everything the adults could have some minutes alone without the blonde child almost catching them on act.

Perhaps they had been really naughty kids that year.

Maybe they should try again next time.

" Tch." He smirked, infected by her laughter. " Of course the dobe would ruin it."

" Next time, lets make sure we're at least 10 meters away from him."

" Next time, you can leave him home."

She continued chuckling, happy with the indirect invitation. " Deal. Next year, then, I'll run away from him."

" Hn, I wouldn't find it that bad."

The smirk decorating his face helped her settle her embarrassment aside, before she could finally rest her chin over her knees. Her arms were now hugging her legs closer, as her tender emeralds just wouldn't leave the sleeping blonde. Even if she was mad at him for ruining their moment, Sakura knew that she wouldn't have the courage to leave him behind. Not when he was that excited to see his best friend.

" He really is a child, isn't he?" She asked, with a smile still on her lips.

" An annoying one, for sure."

" He was so happy to see you today… He kept talking about it during the whole way."

" Hn, I still don't understand this side of his."

" No one does… I guess he was just glad to see his best friend after so long."

" Aah… I'm glad too."

" Eh?" Her eyes widened, as she looked at him. His onyx pearls were facing the blonde, and she didn't know if he was aware of how soft his expression was at that moment.

" I'm glad you came over. Even those two… I'm glad you're here, Sakura." He looked at her, and her heart skipped a beat. " Thank you."

At that moment, she didn't know if he could see how red her cheeks were. At that moment, Haruno Sakura could feel her heart almost jumping off of her chest, as a different kind of happiness dwelled on her stomach.

What an amazing feeling, she thought, as a tender smile crossed her lips.

Never before had she imagined the Uchiha would share with her those kind of words. Apparently, they hadn't been an annoyance, after all, and she could even say he enjoyed the surprise they made him. Knowing he had enjoyed this christmas and knowing he was happy to actually be with someone made her want to cry in pure happiness, for he no longer felt lonely. Sasuke was happy, and more than anyone, she was happy for him.

He certainly couldn't have given her a better christmas present.

" Thank you, Sasuke-kun…" She said, leaning against him, snuggling closer. She closed her eyes in pure contentment, and even if he didn't understand her gesture at first, the Uchiha silently appreciated it, adjusting his body in a comfortable position for both of them. He also closed his eyes, and with silent words, both of them said goodbye to the christmas night.