Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but maybe K. Masashi'll give me a character for Christmas? Kawaii little Naru-chan perhaps?
I know, I haven't updated When Sounds Become Visual in a bit... but I've been planning things for Katsucon. Surely all of you can understand? I will be updating both of my fics A LOT during this Christmas break XD Expect a new chapter either tomorrow or today! AND (if you didn't already know) there will be a new story from me called "Just like Heroine". People have been saying there's a story already called that, but I highly doubt they're similar. It'll be coming out as soon as I finish at least one of my ongoing stories.
Enjoy the Christmas oneshot! Hearts for everyone! It's short, but believe me, the shortness made it better.
Naruto's out of character here... sort of.
Uchiha Sasuke despised his job.
He hated the fact that he had to be around snobby little kids, that he had to listen to them blabber on and on about stupid toys, that he had to sit on his ass all evening, and that he had to wear a beard and stuff a pillow into his bright red fuzzy suit.
Basically, he hated being Santa Claus.
"Hi, Santa," a little black-haired girl skipped over to him, her clothes a matching pink. She smiled widely when the old man held out his arms and lifted her up to sit on his knee.
Knowing his lines by heart, he said, "Why, aren't you a charming little girl. What would you like Santa to get you this year?" he made his voice scratchy, enough to convince a small child he was old (even though he wasn't).
The girl bounced up and down on his leg excitedly, "I want a pony, a Malibu Barbie, the Harry Potter books, a kitty, some coloring books, a car," she continued on and on, her voice never wavering. As she kept on chattering, the "little helpers" took a picture of them for the kid's parents.
Sasuke sighed inwardly as he smiled and nodded to the child. Finally, when she stopped, he patted her on the head and stood her up on the red carpet, "I'll make sure you get all of those," he chuckled, mentally wanting to strangle the annoying brat.
"Thank you, Santa!" she chirped, running off.
When I came to America, I thought I'd be able to get a better job than this, the false Santa counted the rest of the children in line. Since the mall was going to close soon, he knew these would be the last of the kids until tomorrow evening. He counted a total of six before something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning, he saw a tall blond looking at him from the benches in front of the Orange Julius, his clothes a bit tattered, and his golden hair unruly. Sasuke couldn't see from that far away, but he believed the teen had blue eyes.
xXxXx
"Two more nights and your job's done. Got it, kid?" the manager of the mall took a swig of his Dr. Pepper, soda fizz getting into his dark brown mustache, "keep up the good work and you might get a big bonus after your time on Christmas Eve," the older man patted Sasuke on the shoulder before leaving, knowing the teen would let himself out the same time as the workers in JCPenny's.
Tugging off his beard, hat, and wig, spikey raven hair and a perfect face were revealed, the boy's expression far from happy. He tugged off his suit, normal clothes underneath.
"I can't take this anymore," he growled, shoving the clothes in the duffle bag he brought with him to work, "I absolutely loathe children," he glared at a passing worker, making her swallow nervously and walk away faster. Going out of the JCPenny's front doors, he walked to his car, unlocking it and tossing the duffle bag inside.
As he started the vehicle and made his way to the stop light, he spotted the same blond boy from before standing out by one of the closed down restuarants, his hands brushing up down his arms in order to stay warm. But he didn't have any more time to watch before the light turned green, the cars behind him honking for him to go.
Taking a left, he glanced back at the boy before he drove off to his one bedroom apartment.
xXxXx
Just one more kid, Sasuke told himself, letting the small red-head get up on his lap, "What would you like Santa to get you this year?"
The boy looked too excited for words, "I-I want to fly!" he screeched.
Sasuke winced, "To fly?" he held back his snapping, "why would you want to fly?" he tried to sound curious.
"'Cause Superman can fly!" the boy flung his arms around, "and I wanna be exactly like him! He's my hero!"
"Alright then, on Christmas morning, you'll be able to fly," he lied, I'm going to be out of here before they can file a law suit.
The child's eyes widened and he laughed like crazy, leaping off of Sasuke's lap before the "little helpers" could even take a picture, "Mom! Santa said I'd be able to fly!" he tugged on her hand.
Sasuke didn't even flinch when the woman sent a glare at him.
He stood up when the mall began to close. He started to make his way to JCPenny's, but the same blond teen from before caught his eyes. This time, he kept looking, his obsidian eyes staring into deep cerulean.
The other boy was the first to turn away, his sneakers squeeking against the tiled floor as he ran off.
xXxXx
Sasuke was about ready to leave, his fingers tapping impatiently against the arms of his large chair. He waved good-bye to the last child, sighing, Finally, I can go home, but before he could get up, one his elf co-workers stopped him, smiling widely and pointing to someone peaking around the large column by the wrist watch store. He glanced over and saw the blond boy once again, his blue eyes unsure.
Thinking about the last few days, Sasuke thought it'd be good to finally confront the odd teen. He sighed and looked straight at the boy, waving to him. He raised a brow when the blond hesitently stepped back, giving the raven a better view of his torn shirt.
"Come here," Sasuke ordered, trying to make his voice raspy, for the sake of the Santa outfit. He smirked when the boy finally moved forward, a bright smile on his face. He ran forward, his shoes scuffing the floor before he made it to the carpet, looking over at the camera elfs.
The bright-haired teen blushed and smiled at Sasuke, "Are you really Santa...?" he asked shyly.
Am I really Santa? What kind of question is that? he patted for the boy to sit on his lap, thinking that he wouldn't be too heavy since he was awfully thin and short. When the other sat down, he noticed how dirty his clothes were. They were covered with dirty and grass stains, but Sasuke didn't say anything.
"Yes, I'm Santa," he gave a false chuckle, "now, why have you been avoiding me these past few days? I thought that maybe you'd want to ask for a toy like all of the other kids?"
"A-ah... well, I do want to ask you for something..." the blond fiddled with his fingers, his gaze on his dirty jeans.
"Can I ask your name first?" Sasuke asked.
"U-Um, Uzumaki Naruto..." he stuttered, blushing. He seemed to be too shy for someone his age.
"Alright, Naruto, what is it you want for Christmas?" Sasuke put on a smile. So far he was liking the boy. He wasn't all blabby about toys like all of the other kids. Of course, Naruto seemed to be around Sasuke's age.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with shimmering blue eyes, "If... if it's possible... do you think you could give me a family?"
Obsidian eyes widened.
"I don't like living on the streets by myself... I want a dad who will play sports with me... and a mom who will hug me... maybe even a little brother or sister to play with?" he asked quietly, embarrassed, "I know it's a lot to ask for... a lot more than just giving toys to kids... I just thought I'd ask you anyway..."
He doesn't have a family... He lives on the streets, that why his clothes are dirty... "Well..." what can I tell him? He felt a tugging on his chest, "of course I can give you a family, Naruto," he smiled to himself when he saw the blond's face light up.
"R-really? Thank you, Santa!" he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, then stood up.
"Just promise to be good," Sasuke added slowly, not knowing why he would lie to the boy like he did.
"I will!" Naruto's grin reached from ear to ear as he ran off, waving back to Santa.
No one was there to tell him Santa wasn't real... of course he'll believe whatever I tell him, he groaned and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose, what am I going to do?
xXxXx
When Sasuke returned home, his mother was in the kitchen baking a couple of apple and pumpkin pies, her husband sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through the newspaper his company published. A tall raven-haired boy similar to Sasuke was in the living room doing homework he was given to do over the break.
"Okaeri, Sasuke-chan," his mother, Mikoto, welcomed him with a warm smile, "how was work today?"
"Alright," Sasuke replied shortly, going to sit beside his brother Itachi in the living room. The elder Uchiha looked over at him, brows raised.
"Otouto, you seem depressed," he smirked.
Sasuke glared at him, but began to explain, "I promised this one kid a family," the summary was short, but enough for Itachi to starts chuckling like the annoying weasel he was.
"You're being serious?" Itachi crossed his legs and put his work on the coffee table in front of him, "what are you going to do about it?"
"What can I do?"
Itachi smirked, his eyes glinting, "I don't know... what do you think you should do?"
A vein throbbed in Sasuke's temple, "This is getting me nowhere," he quickly stood up, "exactly what good are you as a brother?"
Itachi reached up and ruffled the smaller male's hair, "Not much apparently... Hmm, maybe you should get another one?" he gave a hinted smile.
"..." Sasuke kept quiet, then ran into the kitchen.
Itachi watched as his younger sibling spoke with their mother, the woman blinking in suprise at what he was saying, then smiling sweetly and nodding. Sasuke even got a few comments from their father, Fugaku.
"Christmas is such a lovely time of year," Itachi muttered to himself as he went back to work.
xXxXx
Sasuke rode his mountain bike along the side of the highway, cutting across merging cars and speeding down the hill that led to the mall parking lot. He looked around, hoping to find Naruto.
He'd be somewhere where he'd at least be a bit warm, right? then it hit him, that would be by Sears, next to the back furnace, he sped across the parking lot, swirving around remaining cars that belonged to the security guards. As he came closer to Sears, he rode to the back, stopping by the back doors. There was what looked like a tent made of various boxes, and a few shredded blankets sticking out of the darkness inside.
He parked his bike and walked over, bending down. He felt something fall onto his arm and he looked up, snow falling from the thick clouds of the night sky. Focusing his attention back on the box, he spoke, "Naruto?" when he didn't get an answer, he suspected that the blond wasn't there. Sighing, he stood up.
A yelp from behind alerted Sasuke. He turned swiftly, spotting Naruto standing there, various foods and paper materials in his arms, eyes wide. The boy stepped back, "Wh-who are you?"
Sasuke didn't step forward, afraid the boy would run, "My name's Sasuke," he answered calmly, "I'm here to--"
"J-Just leave me alone!" Naruto interrupted him, stepping back once again and taking off, the food and papers still firmly in his arms.
"Naruto!" he called, but didn't run after him, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to catch up. This was his terrain, not Sasuke's, I'd probably just end up getting lost. He got back on his bike and started going back across the parking lot, promising himself that he would come back in the morning, and all of that stuff he was carrying... he most likely stole it... he didn't understand why he cared so much, but the emptiness and loneliness Naruto's cerulean eyes held drew him to the boy like a moth to a flame. Sasuke wasn't generally a caring person... but the other male just looked so lonely and sad...
xXxXx
Blue eyes blinked open, snow falling on his face. His skin held goosebumps, but he made no move to rub them away. He rolled over and pulled something close to him. He had made it last night when he had come back to his "home" after he ran from the raven. It was a card covered with glitter and designs drawn with markers. He smiled slightly and hugged the craft to his chest.
"Merry Christmas..." he whispered, feeling tears welling up, Santa said I'd have a family on Christmas... I should've known it was too big of a wish for me to make... he held back a sob and got up, the snow very light outside of his tall box.
There was a crunching sound and Naruto's head snapped up, his eyes looking forward. A woman with long black hair and a soft face stepped through the snow, her shoes crunching the snow laying atop the cement. In her hand was an open umbrella, the item keeping the white snow from getting on her clothes and in her hair.
Naruto moved back, especially when he saw the raven from before following the woman. He swallowed down his fear as they approached, knowing very well he couldn't escape.
Mikoto bent down, her smile soft and sweet, "Are you Naruto?" she asked, her voice tender.
The blond nodded slowly.
"Sasuke-chan told me about you," she reached her hand out, "he said you didn't have a family and that you were all alone..." she laughed lightly when Naruto glanced down at her hand worriedly, "why don't you come home with us? Fugaku and I have always wanted a third little boy."
Naruto's cerulean eyes widened, his fingers pressing against the card he made, "Come home...?"
"You have a family now, Naruto," her smile never faded and she moved her small hand forward.
A family... tears slipped down his dirty cheeks and he pushed himself forward, hugging the older woman. He cried until his eyes were dry, his sobs quieting down along with the falling of the snow. His fingers let go of Mikoto's shirt and he pulled away, a bright smile on his face, "O-Okaasan?" he asked her, wanting to hear her acceptance.
Mikoto laughed softly, "Yes, Okaasan."
Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, "Niisan?" he asked, excited.
Sasuke smiled to himself and nodded.
Blue eyes were bright with happiness and Naruto got up with Mikoto, running over to hug Sasuke, "When you came last night... were you trying to...?"
"Give you a home, yes," Sasuke smirked, "but you were such a dobe and you ran away."
Naruto puffed his cheeks out, "I'm not a dobe, Teme!" he screeched.
Mikoto watched their interection with affectionate eyes, "We should get back to the house. Fugaku should be setting up the table, and Naruto," she went to the young boy and pulled him against her to keep him warm, "we need to get you all cleaned up."
Naruto nodded and smiled.
xXxXx
"What a cute new little brother," Itachi mumbled to himself as Naruto trotted down the steps in a pair of Sasuke's pajamas. It was still early in the morning and the blond had always seen children come downstairs for Christmas wearing their pajamas in the movies and books, so he wanted to do the same. The clothes were a little big on him, the sleeves covering his fingers and slipping of his left shoulder.
"The meal will be ready in a little bit," Mikoto told them all before going into the kitchen to help her husband.
Sasuke came downstairs, his hands in his pockets, "Let's go in the living room," he said quietly to Naruto. He sat next to his brother, Naruto shoving himself between them, making Sasuke right eye twitch.
"Are you Itachi?" Naruto asked, eyes big.
Itachi smiled slightly and ruffled the golden hair, much like he always did to Sasuke, "Why, yes, I am. You can call me Aniki, just like Otouto does."
"Aniki!" Naruto chirped, swinging his legs back and forth over the sofa. His eyes roamed around and he spotted the presents under the tree, quite a lot of them sporting his name. He stuttered, "Th-there's gifts for me?"
"Of course, you're part of the family now, aren't you?" Itachi took a sip of the soda that was sitting beside him, "I bet Santa brought you those last night, knowing you would be here," he snickered.
Santa... Naruto smiled, "You know... I met Santa..."
"Oh, did you?" Itachi smirked at Sasuke, the other raven snorting.
"Yeah! And I asked him-- I asked him for a family! And then..." he looked at Sasuke, "and then you showed up... and Okaasan!"
"Wow, I should thank him sometime," Itachi said sarcastically, knowing the blond would believe him anyway, "he gave me a cute little brother to take place of the stubborn and quiet one," he smirked again, making Sasuke scowl.
Mikoto came out of the kitchen, along with Fugaku, a plate of turkey being set on the table, "The meal's ready," she said cheerfully, "Naruto, you can be the first to get your plate ready."
"Really?.!" Naruto shot up from the sofa.
Itachi chuckled and got up.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, then glanced over at the card Naruto had made for his new family.
Out of all the wishes, why did I grant his?