Part of my Christmas special. Everyday a gift, everyday something
different. To open every present, go to my Christmas 2003 page.
~*~*~*~
All That Glitters Naruto Virgo
Time: One week before Christmas
Mission: Find the perfect present
Status: Royally screwed
If there was one thing Naruto was well known for, it was being a freak. Why? One reason was because of the 'events' surrounding his birth. Another reason was because, really... he had the tendency to freak out. And right now he was freaking out like it was cool.
Christmas was not something he really cared about before. He had no one to celebrate it with (except for maybe Iruka-sensei) and no one wanted to celebrate it with him (again, except maybe Iruka-sensei). Then, all of the sudden, he had friends, close companions and people he'd tentatively call friends. And, to top that off, he had a... sort of relationship with someone. Someone who never really wanted anything (substantial), someone who got everything from food to clothes to useless junk to furniture for Christmas /and/ his birthday from the occult following commonly known as 'girls'. So what the hell was a poor foxboy with no experience shopping for someone other than himself supposed to get someone who /gets/ everything?
He was about to lose his mind.
And everyone else was about as helpful as his own useless self when it came to ideas. Sakura said chocolate because there was nothing better. Lee said flowers: elegant and cheap if you go to any old field. Hinata said something fluffy. Naruto could not, for the life of him, picture Sasuke with something /fluffy/. Neji and Kiba just laughed in his face, Chouji, of course, said food. Shikamaru told him to get nothing because Sasuke didn't want anything. So logic dictated not to get him anything. Ino beat him up for that.
So, counting down the days that would make or break their 'relationship' (the long, twisted journey it was), Naruto was really starting to get desperate.
"Naruto," Iruka said around a mouth full of noodles, "your ramen's getting cold." They had originally planned eating out for Christmas, but it seemed the blonde genin wasn't the only one with a 'special someone' this time around so they moved the date earlier.
He sighed. It wasn't often he didn't feel the energy to inhale his favorite food group- the noodle -but this dilemma was affecting him in every way it possibly could. And it was enjoying it.
"Ne, Iruka-sensei..."
"What's wrong?"
"I..." he blushed faintly. As close as they were, Naruto still couldn't shake the embarrassment of resorting to asking advice from his former teacher. "I don't know what to get Sasuke for Christmas."
He blinked. "Is that it?"
"Whaddya mean 'is that it'?! This is a crisis!"
The man gave him a repentant smile. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Hmph!" He sulked as only Naruto could sulk. Kicking his legs, he said, "I don't know what to do and no one else has good ideas. They want me to give him the same things everyone else gives him and he throws almost all of it away every time."
"'Almost'?"
"You can't say no to free furniture."
"I suppose not..." Iruka leaned back, jabbing his chopsticks in Naruto's general direction. "It's really simple, Naruto."
"What is?"
"What to get Sasuke." He nodded importantly.
"Well?"
"Sincerity."
Naruto's train of thought jumped the track, flipped three times, jumped over a stream and hit another train in a fiery mess. "Huh?"
"Sincerity. He always gets gifts from girls he doesn't care about, who only like him because he's pretty, talented and cool."
Naruto was slightly miffed. Even if he was going out with the guy, he still found it somewhat annoying to have his favorite teacher praise him like that. "Yeah, so?"
"So, you like him for him. And he likes you because you're honest with him, about him." Iruka smiled. "Therefore, so long as he knows that you gave him a gift that you spent so much time on, thinking only of him, he'll love it more than any furniture in the world. Sincerity, Naruto, is what's important here."
The boy blinked. In an odd way, that made a twisted sort of sense... Then Naruto thought of something. "Ne, Iruka-sensei. What're you getting your 'special someone'?"
To his surprise, the young teacher blushed. "You're not old enough to know yet."
After that, Naruto quickly forgot about his own issues and harassed his teacher. "What do you mean I'm not old enough, yet? I'm plenty old!"
"It's not something someone your age should hear about."
"C'mon, tell me! I wanna know!"
Iruka, flustered, quickly finished his meal and excused himself.
"Oi! Iruka-sensei! You can't get off that easily!" But the young chuunin had already ran off. Realizing that this source of ideas was dry and gone, Naruto decided to seek a lead elsewhere.
And that elsewhere he found sitting on the railing of some random balcony, reading that same perverted book with that same blissful look as always.
"Oi~!" Naruto called out, waving his arms from the ground. The weight of his dilemma was sucking all his old energetic and troublemaking tendencies right out of him. "Kakashi-sensei~!"
"Yo, Naruto." He glanced just barely over the edge of his book. "What's up?"
"Kakashi-sensei, I need your help."
"Oh?" This was rare. "What is it?"
To his surprise, Naruto blushed. "I..I'd rather not say."
"Well, I can't help you if I don't know what it is." But I have a pretty good idea.. He smiled to himself, cupping a cheek in one hand, bemused.
The blonde looked up at him, face flat and pinched together in distaste. "Then. can't you come down? I don't want to shout it."
"It's that important?"
"U-Un.."
"Huh." Kakashi thought. "If it's that important and we haven't done much training over the passed week, that must mean.." he beamed at the boy, "you haven't found anything for Sasuke yet."
He was impressed at the speed Naruto's face snapped into a mortified expression, face going unbelievably white and then to bright red.
"Dammit! Shut up!" He shouted at his teacher. "I didn't want anyone to know!"
Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow at Naruto. "You've been asking just about everyone you know about what to get him. Who wouldn't know by now?"
Cursing under his breath, Naruto yelled out, "Kurenai-sensei! There's a pervert on your balcony!" He managed to enjoy the shocked look on Kakashi's face before he ran, full speed, into the crowded streets.
The only thing Kurenai saw on the balcony was the gray tomcat that jumped as she slammed open the door. Surprised, the cat jumped off and ran down the alley. Kurenai blinked after it, confused.
The cat, however, slowed down its pace as it came across a blonde boy, snickering to himself around the corner. With a slightly vindictive look, the cat swiped at the boy's shins.
"Ow! Hey!"
In a puff of smoke, Kakashi leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed. "Now then, about the gift for Sasuke."
Naruto grimaced. "You didn't have to scratch me." He grumbled.
"No one gave you a good idea at all?"
"Iruka-sensei said to give him something sincerely. Don't really know what that means, though.."
Kakashi scratched his chin, humming deep in his throat. "What you need to do is give him something.. that's you."
"Huh?"
Smiling broadly under his mask, he said, "Something that only you could give him. Something he'll look at and will know automatically that it was from you."
Naruto dwelled on that. Though he still had no idea what to give him, at least now he had a lead. Of sorts. "All right, I'll give it a try." He jumped to his feet. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." He didn't make two steps down when he stopped. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei."
"Hm?" His only visible eye still in its happy curve.
"What're you getting for your 'special someone'?"
"You're not old enough to know yet."
Naruto frowned. "Hmph. That's what Iruka-sensei said..."
Kakashi, if possible, just smiled wider.
"And I'll bet you won't tell me what it is, either."
"Nope."
"Che!" Naruto slouched. "I was thinking I could get that for Sasuke.."
Thoroughly amused, Kakashi patted Naruto's spiky hair. "Maybe in a few years."
"Grrr.."
And so, with their wisdom in mind, Naruto thought. And thought. And thought. And continued to think until he realized...
"Something sincere and uniquely yours." Sakura cupped her face in her hands. "Hmm.."
"That's the same thing I've been trying to think of! And they call themselves sensei!" Naruto slammed his fists into the counter, quickly followed by his head. Sakura jumped, wondering slightly if he broke something. But the blonde looked at her, a pitiful expression on his face. "Sakura-chan.. You're smart, help me think of something..!"
With Naruto whimpering beside her, she tried to come up with something only Naruto could give to Sasuke. Ah, but what could it /be/?! Just as she was about to tell the despairing boy she couldn't come up with a thing, it hit her.
"Naruto!" She grabbed his arm, shaking him brutally out of his funk. "I got it!"
"What? What?!"
"Come with me! We have a lot of work to do!"
"Eh? Sa-Sakura-chan! Wait~!"
Naruto learned first hand that if people thought instructors like Gai were tough, they never had to do anything under Sakura.
"What're you looking at my clothes for?"
"Quiet! We have to get this perfect!"
"Ne, Sakura-chan.. I get the clothe, but why velcro?"
"Don't ask questions!" *WHACK!*
"Ow! Sakura-chan!"
"Sorry, got caught up in the moment."
"Ne, Sakura-chan, can't I have a break?"
"No! You're running out of time!"
"Just five min-"
"Work!"
"Okay, okay.." Whimper.
"Can't you do this little part for me? I can't do it."
"Mou, Naruto! If I touch this gift than it won't be something from you! I already helped you out as much as I could!"
"But this little part!"
"If I do that, then it'll be a gift from you /and/ me. Will you be happy telling Sasuke-kun that?"
"Yes. Here-"
"NARUTO!"
Then finally came Christmas Eve and Sakura shook her head. Thank God! She was about to tear her hair out over this. And this wasn't even her present!
"Really, Naruto." She said, inspecting the craft in her hands. "It took you three times longer than it should have."
"Well sorry." He frowned, pitifully shaking his wounded hands with an indignant air. "I'm not used to doing girly things." He shrank back as Sakura glared at him.
"I'll have you know that higher ranking ninja do this! In fact, I'll be both Kakashi-sensei /and/ Iruka-sensei have the kits in their pouches."
"Yeah, well.." He couldn't think of a decent comeback. "It's still girly."
Exasperated Sakura shoved the gift back in Naruto's numb hands. "Here. Be sure to give it to Sasuke-kun bright an early tomorrow, okay? I want to know how he liked it. And don't get blood on it, okay?"
"Okay." Tiredly and mentally exhausted, Naruto trudged back to his home, praying to anyone that would listen that Sakura would not get an instructor's license.
The next morning, Naruto had to bodily force the door open to Sasuke's house, cursing at all the brightly wrapped gifts that attempted to thwart his entrance. "Oi! Sasuke! Lemme in!"
"Just open the door, stupid!"
He snarled. "What the hell do you think I'm doing!?" Just for that, he kicked at the door with all his might, hearing a satisfying crunch as it ran over something. And then felt pain when he realized that thing was made of glass. "Ow! Ow! Shit!"
Hopping over to a relatively flat and stable gift, he proceeded to extract the glass from the bottom of his shoe. "Feh! Fat load of good /you/ do." He reprimanded the thin sole.
"Naruto!" Sasuke called from somewhere deeper in the avalanche of presents. "Where are you?"
"I'm coming!" Without an ounce of care, Naruto bounded over the presents, taking great glee when he felt or heard one of them break under his weight. Finally he spotted Sasuke sitting by the only piece of furniture that was not uncovered. His kitchen table. The dark haired boy raised a slim eyebrow at Naruto's actions, but- as was expected -he ignored the other completely.
"You started sorting through your crap, yet?" He asked brightly, feeling slightly giddy.
"Already finished."
"Oh? What're you keeping?"
"Everything on the table."
"Ah." He did a double take. "But.. there's nothing on it."
"I know."
"Then you're throwing everything away?"
"I was thinking of keeping the rice cooker, but you broke it."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Sorry."
"Whatever." His eyes were suddenly drawn to the bandages on Naruto's fingers. "What happened to your-"
"Here, here!" The shorter boy interjected hurriedly. "This will cheer you up." With great flourish, Naruto shoved his gift into Sasuke's hands. "Merry Christmas!"
The taller boy looked at it oddly. "A.. gift?"
"Yeah, open it!"
Slightly shocked, he complied and brought out two little plushies hugging each other. Both had little beads for eyes and 'x's over their mouths. One was Sasuke. The other was Naruto.
"Do you like it? Do you like it?" He was practically climbing over Sasuke in his enthusiasm. But, noticing the lack of response, shrunk away a bit. "Please tell me you like it."
"I.. Well, yeah I like it! I just.." He blushed. "I didn't think we were getting each other anything."
"Eh?"
"You never asked what I wanted and I never asked what you wanted so.. I thought we weren't getting each other a present." Sasuke looked nervous. Naruto wasn't certain if he liked that expression.
"You don't ask what someone wants for a gift! I think, anyway." He watched as Sasuke played with the plushies. "So you didn't get me anything?" He felt somewhat insulted. Suddenly he found the Sasuke plushie shoved under his nose. "Wha?" He looked over and saw that Sasuke was still holding the Naruto one close to him. So /that's/ what the velcro was for..
"Here. Even though you made it and I don't like anyone being close to you," he glared at the doll to put it in its place, "I kind of like the idea of you holding on to a plushie of me while you sleep." He held its counterpart to his chest. "Like I'll be holding the plushie of you."
Naruto blinked. Then he blushed. "Ma! You're such a girl, Sasuke." But he took the plushie and held it with unconscious care. "You're just a cheap bastard." He then jumped as he saw Sasuke securing the plushie to his belt, hanging half out of his pouch. "What're you doing!"
"Making sure it stays put." He raised a brow. "You like to run off."
"I mean, don't put it there! Everyone will see it!"
To his surprise, Sasuke loomed over him, dark smile on his face. "Good." He purred, tilting Naruto's head up for a soft kiss. "And if they ask, I'll tell them who I got it from. The person most important to me."
Naruto blushed slightly. "Out of everyone you could've picked.. I'm the most plain, most unappealing, most-"
Sasuke put a finger over Naruto's lips. "Have you heard the saying? All that glitters is not gold. You mean more to me than anyone could. Than anyone will. And I will never," he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, "ever," and pulled him close. "Lose you to anyone."
Naruto looked up at Sasuke. And then he smiled, happier than he could recall. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and rested his head against Sasuke's shoulder. And they stood there, wanting nothing more.
"Ne, Sasuke."
"Hm?"
"Do you know who's Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei's 'special someone'?"
He couldn't help the slight jolt that went through his body. "Uh..."
"I wanted to get you what they were getting, but they wouldn't tell me what it was." He looked up at Sasuke. "Do you know?"
The other boy was blushing badly. "Er.. I don't think it's the right time to wonder about that.."
"Mou, Sasuke! Not you, too!"
~*~*~*~
All That Glitters Naruto Virgo
Time: One week before Christmas
Mission: Find the perfect present
Status: Royally screwed
If there was one thing Naruto was well known for, it was being a freak. Why? One reason was because of the 'events' surrounding his birth. Another reason was because, really... he had the tendency to freak out. And right now he was freaking out like it was cool.
Christmas was not something he really cared about before. He had no one to celebrate it with (except for maybe Iruka-sensei) and no one wanted to celebrate it with him (again, except maybe Iruka-sensei). Then, all of the sudden, he had friends, close companions and people he'd tentatively call friends. And, to top that off, he had a... sort of relationship with someone. Someone who never really wanted anything (substantial), someone who got everything from food to clothes to useless junk to furniture for Christmas /and/ his birthday from the occult following commonly known as 'girls'. So what the hell was a poor foxboy with no experience shopping for someone other than himself supposed to get someone who /gets/ everything?
He was about to lose his mind.
And everyone else was about as helpful as his own useless self when it came to ideas. Sakura said chocolate because there was nothing better. Lee said flowers: elegant and cheap if you go to any old field. Hinata said something fluffy. Naruto could not, for the life of him, picture Sasuke with something /fluffy/. Neji and Kiba just laughed in his face, Chouji, of course, said food. Shikamaru told him to get nothing because Sasuke didn't want anything. So logic dictated not to get him anything. Ino beat him up for that.
So, counting down the days that would make or break their 'relationship' (the long, twisted journey it was), Naruto was really starting to get desperate.
"Naruto," Iruka said around a mouth full of noodles, "your ramen's getting cold." They had originally planned eating out for Christmas, but it seemed the blonde genin wasn't the only one with a 'special someone' this time around so they moved the date earlier.
He sighed. It wasn't often he didn't feel the energy to inhale his favorite food group- the noodle -but this dilemma was affecting him in every way it possibly could. And it was enjoying it.
"Ne, Iruka-sensei..."
"What's wrong?"
"I..." he blushed faintly. As close as they were, Naruto still couldn't shake the embarrassment of resorting to asking advice from his former teacher. "I don't know what to get Sasuke for Christmas."
He blinked. "Is that it?"
"Whaddya mean 'is that it'?! This is a crisis!"
The man gave him a repentant smile. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Hmph!" He sulked as only Naruto could sulk. Kicking his legs, he said, "I don't know what to do and no one else has good ideas. They want me to give him the same things everyone else gives him and he throws almost all of it away every time."
"'Almost'?"
"You can't say no to free furniture."
"I suppose not..." Iruka leaned back, jabbing his chopsticks in Naruto's general direction. "It's really simple, Naruto."
"What is?"
"What to get Sasuke." He nodded importantly.
"Well?"
"Sincerity."
Naruto's train of thought jumped the track, flipped three times, jumped over a stream and hit another train in a fiery mess. "Huh?"
"Sincerity. He always gets gifts from girls he doesn't care about, who only like him because he's pretty, talented and cool."
Naruto was slightly miffed. Even if he was going out with the guy, he still found it somewhat annoying to have his favorite teacher praise him like that. "Yeah, so?"
"So, you like him for him. And he likes you because you're honest with him, about him." Iruka smiled. "Therefore, so long as he knows that you gave him a gift that you spent so much time on, thinking only of him, he'll love it more than any furniture in the world. Sincerity, Naruto, is what's important here."
The boy blinked. In an odd way, that made a twisted sort of sense... Then Naruto thought of something. "Ne, Iruka-sensei. What're you getting your 'special someone'?"
To his surprise, the young teacher blushed. "You're not old enough to know yet."
After that, Naruto quickly forgot about his own issues and harassed his teacher. "What do you mean I'm not old enough, yet? I'm plenty old!"
"It's not something someone your age should hear about."
"C'mon, tell me! I wanna know!"
Iruka, flustered, quickly finished his meal and excused himself.
"Oi! Iruka-sensei! You can't get off that easily!" But the young chuunin had already ran off. Realizing that this source of ideas was dry and gone, Naruto decided to seek a lead elsewhere.
And that elsewhere he found sitting on the railing of some random balcony, reading that same perverted book with that same blissful look as always.
"Oi~!" Naruto called out, waving his arms from the ground. The weight of his dilemma was sucking all his old energetic and troublemaking tendencies right out of him. "Kakashi-sensei~!"
"Yo, Naruto." He glanced just barely over the edge of his book. "What's up?"
"Kakashi-sensei, I need your help."
"Oh?" This was rare. "What is it?"
To his surprise, Naruto blushed. "I..I'd rather not say."
"Well, I can't help you if I don't know what it is." But I have a pretty good idea.. He smiled to himself, cupping a cheek in one hand, bemused.
The blonde looked up at him, face flat and pinched together in distaste. "Then. can't you come down? I don't want to shout it."
"It's that important?"
"U-Un.."
"Huh." Kakashi thought. "If it's that important and we haven't done much training over the passed week, that must mean.." he beamed at the boy, "you haven't found anything for Sasuke yet."
He was impressed at the speed Naruto's face snapped into a mortified expression, face going unbelievably white and then to bright red.
"Dammit! Shut up!" He shouted at his teacher. "I didn't want anyone to know!"
Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow at Naruto. "You've been asking just about everyone you know about what to get him. Who wouldn't know by now?"
Cursing under his breath, Naruto yelled out, "Kurenai-sensei! There's a pervert on your balcony!" He managed to enjoy the shocked look on Kakashi's face before he ran, full speed, into the crowded streets.
The only thing Kurenai saw on the balcony was the gray tomcat that jumped as she slammed open the door. Surprised, the cat jumped off and ran down the alley. Kurenai blinked after it, confused.
The cat, however, slowed down its pace as it came across a blonde boy, snickering to himself around the corner. With a slightly vindictive look, the cat swiped at the boy's shins.
"Ow! Hey!"
In a puff of smoke, Kakashi leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed. "Now then, about the gift for Sasuke."
Naruto grimaced. "You didn't have to scratch me." He grumbled.
"No one gave you a good idea at all?"
"Iruka-sensei said to give him something sincerely. Don't really know what that means, though.."
Kakashi scratched his chin, humming deep in his throat. "What you need to do is give him something.. that's you."
"Huh?"
Smiling broadly under his mask, he said, "Something that only you could give him. Something he'll look at and will know automatically that it was from you."
Naruto dwelled on that. Though he still had no idea what to give him, at least now he had a lead. Of sorts. "All right, I'll give it a try." He jumped to his feet. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." He didn't make two steps down when he stopped. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei."
"Hm?" His only visible eye still in its happy curve.
"What're you getting for your 'special someone'?"
"You're not old enough to know yet."
Naruto frowned. "Hmph. That's what Iruka-sensei said..."
Kakashi, if possible, just smiled wider.
"And I'll bet you won't tell me what it is, either."
"Nope."
"Che!" Naruto slouched. "I was thinking I could get that for Sasuke.."
Thoroughly amused, Kakashi patted Naruto's spiky hair. "Maybe in a few years."
"Grrr.."
And so, with their wisdom in mind, Naruto thought. And thought. And thought. And continued to think until he realized...
"Something sincere and uniquely yours." Sakura cupped her face in her hands. "Hmm.."
"That's the same thing I've been trying to think of! And they call themselves sensei!" Naruto slammed his fists into the counter, quickly followed by his head. Sakura jumped, wondering slightly if he broke something. But the blonde looked at her, a pitiful expression on his face. "Sakura-chan.. You're smart, help me think of something..!"
With Naruto whimpering beside her, she tried to come up with something only Naruto could give to Sasuke. Ah, but what could it /be/?! Just as she was about to tell the despairing boy she couldn't come up with a thing, it hit her.
"Naruto!" She grabbed his arm, shaking him brutally out of his funk. "I got it!"
"What? What?!"
"Come with me! We have a lot of work to do!"
"Eh? Sa-Sakura-chan! Wait~!"
Naruto learned first hand that if people thought instructors like Gai were tough, they never had to do anything under Sakura.
"What're you looking at my clothes for?"
"Quiet! We have to get this perfect!"
"Ne, Sakura-chan.. I get the clothe, but why velcro?"
"Don't ask questions!" *WHACK!*
"Ow! Sakura-chan!"
"Sorry, got caught up in the moment."
"Ne, Sakura-chan, can't I have a break?"
"No! You're running out of time!"
"Just five min-"
"Work!"
"Okay, okay.." Whimper.
"Can't you do this little part for me? I can't do it."
"Mou, Naruto! If I touch this gift than it won't be something from you! I already helped you out as much as I could!"
"But this little part!"
"If I do that, then it'll be a gift from you /and/ me. Will you be happy telling Sasuke-kun that?"
"Yes. Here-"
"NARUTO!"
Then finally came Christmas Eve and Sakura shook her head. Thank God! She was about to tear her hair out over this. And this wasn't even her present!
"Really, Naruto." She said, inspecting the craft in her hands. "It took you three times longer than it should have."
"Well sorry." He frowned, pitifully shaking his wounded hands with an indignant air. "I'm not used to doing girly things." He shrank back as Sakura glared at him.
"I'll have you know that higher ranking ninja do this! In fact, I'll be both Kakashi-sensei /and/ Iruka-sensei have the kits in their pouches."
"Yeah, well.." He couldn't think of a decent comeback. "It's still girly."
Exasperated Sakura shoved the gift back in Naruto's numb hands. "Here. Be sure to give it to Sasuke-kun bright an early tomorrow, okay? I want to know how he liked it. And don't get blood on it, okay?"
"Okay." Tiredly and mentally exhausted, Naruto trudged back to his home, praying to anyone that would listen that Sakura would not get an instructor's license.
The next morning, Naruto had to bodily force the door open to Sasuke's house, cursing at all the brightly wrapped gifts that attempted to thwart his entrance. "Oi! Sasuke! Lemme in!"
"Just open the door, stupid!"
He snarled. "What the hell do you think I'm doing!?" Just for that, he kicked at the door with all his might, hearing a satisfying crunch as it ran over something. And then felt pain when he realized that thing was made of glass. "Ow! Ow! Shit!"
Hopping over to a relatively flat and stable gift, he proceeded to extract the glass from the bottom of his shoe. "Feh! Fat load of good /you/ do." He reprimanded the thin sole.
"Naruto!" Sasuke called from somewhere deeper in the avalanche of presents. "Where are you?"
"I'm coming!" Without an ounce of care, Naruto bounded over the presents, taking great glee when he felt or heard one of them break under his weight. Finally he spotted Sasuke sitting by the only piece of furniture that was not uncovered. His kitchen table. The dark haired boy raised a slim eyebrow at Naruto's actions, but- as was expected -he ignored the other completely.
"You started sorting through your crap, yet?" He asked brightly, feeling slightly giddy.
"Already finished."
"Oh? What're you keeping?"
"Everything on the table."
"Ah." He did a double take. "But.. there's nothing on it."
"I know."
"Then you're throwing everything away?"
"I was thinking of keeping the rice cooker, but you broke it."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Sorry."
"Whatever." His eyes were suddenly drawn to the bandages on Naruto's fingers. "What happened to your-"
"Here, here!" The shorter boy interjected hurriedly. "This will cheer you up." With great flourish, Naruto shoved his gift into Sasuke's hands. "Merry Christmas!"
The taller boy looked at it oddly. "A.. gift?"
"Yeah, open it!"
Slightly shocked, he complied and brought out two little plushies hugging each other. Both had little beads for eyes and 'x's over their mouths. One was Sasuke. The other was Naruto.
"Do you like it? Do you like it?" He was practically climbing over Sasuke in his enthusiasm. But, noticing the lack of response, shrunk away a bit. "Please tell me you like it."
"I.. Well, yeah I like it! I just.." He blushed. "I didn't think we were getting each other anything."
"Eh?"
"You never asked what I wanted and I never asked what you wanted so.. I thought we weren't getting each other a present." Sasuke looked nervous. Naruto wasn't certain if he liked that expression.
"You don't ask what someone wants for a gift! I think, anyway." He watched as Sasuke played with the plushies. "So you didn't get me anything?" He felt somewhat insulted. Suddenly he found the Sasuke plushie shoved under his nose. "Wha?" He looked over and saw that Sasuke was still holding the Naruto one close to him. So /that's/ what the velcro was for..
"Here. Even though you made it and I don't like anyone being close to you," he glared at the doll to put it in its place, "I kind of like the idea of you holding on to a plushie of me while you sleep." He held its counterpart to his chest. "Like I'll be holding the plushie of you."
Naruto blinked. Then he blushed. "Ma! You're such a girl, Sasuke." But he took the plushie and held it with unconscious care. "You're just a cheap bastard." He then jumped as he saw Sasuke securing the plushie to his belt, hanging half out of his pouch. "What're you doing!"
"Making sure it stays put." He raised a brow. "You like to run off."
"I mean, don't put it there! Everyone will see it!"
To his surprise, Sasuke loomed over him, dark smile on his face. "Good." He purred, tilting Naruto's head up for a soft kiss. "And if they ask, I'll tell them who I got it from. The person most important to me."
Naruto blushed slightly. "Out of everyone you could've picked.. I'm the most plain, most unappealing, most-"
Sasuke put a finger over Naruto's lips. "Have you heard the saying? All that glitters is not gold. You mean more to me than anyone could. Than anyone will. And I will never," he wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, "ever," and pulled him close. "Lose you to anyone."
Naruto looked up at Sasuke. And then he smiled, happier than he could recall. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and rested his head against Sasuke's shoulder. And they stood there, wanting nothing more.
"Ne, Sasuke."
"Hm?"
"Do you know who's Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei's 'special someone'?"
He couldn't help the slight jolt that went through his body. "Uh..."
"I wanted to get you what they were getting, but they wouldn't tell me what it was." He looked up at Sasuke. "Do you know?"
The other boy was blushing badly. "Er.. I don't think it's the right time to wonder about that.."
"Mou, Sasuke! Not you, too!"