/Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or the characters. I don't own the story or anything else. If I did, Kabuto and Sakura would make adorable babies for me to write about. Anyway, let me know what y'all think. Rate and comment below at the end of each chapter. Arigato and enjoy! /
Small flakes floated down to the quickly dampening earth before gradually increasing in size. At first, there was nothing but cold and small specks of white upon the ground, though that quickly changed and the village of Konoha was now coated in a blanket of snow. Emerging from her house, a young woman pulled a red scarf on over her clothing, wrapping it gently around her neck and tucking it under the nape when it was secure enough.
"Ohayo.." said the girl to no one in particular, taking her first steps into the freshly made wonderland before her.
Already, people were dispensing from their homes to watch the falling flakes, curiosity bubbling in every gaze.
"It's not like no one's ever seen snow before.." commented the female with a small laugh, though not a soul seemed to hear her soft voice.
Deciding that she should trudge on, the young woman folded her gloved arms over her chest, pulling the thin coat closer to her and heading for the training field.
Today was as good a day as any to hone one's skills and this kunoichi was wasting no time whatsoever, not even for snow. Upon arriving, a small sigh escaped barely parted lips, amusing the girl that her breath was quite visible in the chilly atmosphere. Removing none of her attire, a curt nod could be seen before an eerie blue glow came from the hands of the woman on the field.
"CHAA!" she cried out, slamming her balled up fist into the nearest training dummy and practically annihilating it.
For a moment or two, she stopped. Her thoughts were overwhelming her again, and that is exactly why she had chosen to come and train rather than partake in the rarities of snow in the village.
"Sasuke kun…" the young woman breathed, shaking her head and clutching at her aching heart.
Bubblegum pink locks fell in pieces over her pale, tender face, emerald eyes full of passion and fury peeked out into the distance to see a young man with hair black as ebony, eyes dark as night, and a fiery ambition to destroy everyone and everything at the cost of his own sight, mind, and life. The young woman had to blink, rubbing away the illusion and shuddering, though it wasn't from the nippy air at all.
I have to focus…
The young woman breathed a heavy sigh, closing her eyes for only a split second before they reopened with a new-found determination. A hard face and serous attitude masked the pools of emerald swimming in doubt, longing, love, betrayal.
"Sakura chan!"
A familiar voice cut into the kunoichi's thoughts like a hot knife through butter, snapping her attention over to a blond male wearing his usual orange and black attire. A beanie upon his head to protect from the weather was visible as well as orange earmuffs and black gloves.
"Ohayo, Naruto kun.."
The young woman known as Sakura allowed a small smile to creep onto her porcelain features, the emerald in her eyes softening for the briefest of moments as if just this individual had taken over her disturbing thoughts completely. In that moment, all Sakura wanted to do was embrace the young man and hold him in her arms. Naruto knew her pain to the same extent, if not more, for Sasuke had been his best friend.
"Another Christmas without him.."
The pink haired young woman whispered, barely audible to even the intended recipient.
"I miss him, Naruto kun.."
The blond young man understood the other completely. Not thinking twice about it, a look of grim determination etched onto his features while long, slender arms reached out to grab the young woman and pull her to him. Sakura blinked hard several times, emerald hues widening as if Naruto had just read her thoughts.
"N-Naruto..kun.." she breathed, warm breath tickling the skin of her best friend who only laughed in response.
"That tickles, Sakura chan!"
Naruto grinned like a kid before seeming to switch personalities again, holding Sakura tighter, even the young woman hadn't noticed her own tears until now.
"It'll be okay, Sakura chan. I promised that I'd bring him back and I will.."
The grim determination returned as the blonde young man absentmindedly began to stroke the hair of his female best friend. Sakura's cheeks flushed, her mouth formed a long, thin line, and her gaze lowered to the snowy earth below, tears falling in a steady stream to melt away some of the icy wonderland below them.
"Naruto kun…Sasuke kun.."
The kunoichi bitterly wiped at her face, clawing at her eyes as if in a rage that she had dared to cry, though with Naruto it was safe, no chance of judgment or disdain, even jealousy eluded his tone most days anymore for the fact that his Sakura loved Sasuke more than anything.
"Let's go inside, alright? You'll feel better and I'll make you some hot cocoa!"
Naruto seemed to be able to switch personas on a dime, inwardly dealing with comments from Kurama and outwardly dealing with his friend and love interest's tears. Sakura would have normally declined his offer, but for some reason she felt weaker and unable to wear the mask of toughness and strength that seemed automatically attached to her face everyday. Naruto waited for her rejection, for her to tell him that it wasn't necessary, that she was a big girl and could handle this on her own, but her answer surprised them both.
"I'd love that, Naruto kun.."
Sakura did not accept these small signs of affection often and had no one known that, it would be obvious by the fact that the blond's jaw dropped nearly to the ground, causing a small chuckle from the female.
"W-What did you say, Sakura chan?" asked Naruto with bewildered, blinking blue orbs.
"I said I'd love that, Naruto kun."
The kunoichi repeated herself with a small smile, gently pressing her cold lips against the other's cheek before walking off of the training grounds and heading back toward the village itself.
No one could correctly describe the redness that rose in Naruto's pale cheeks as Sakura gently placed that kiss upon him. Absentmindedly, the blond reached up to gently place his gloved digits against the spot, declaring "I'll never wash this cheek again…"
Blue hues swam in a dreamy pool and a soft, happy sigh emitted from the young man who quickly ran off to catch up to his friend.
"Sakura chan, matte!" called Naruto who was barely able to catch up to the long legged female.
By the time they arrived at the blond's house, both were shivering from the cold. Sakura's toes had gone numb from snow seeping in, her nose was so red that she could be mistaken for Rudolph, and her ears were practically frozen. Naruto wasn't in any better shape as his ears and head were protected, but he too had frozen toes and a red nose, even his fingers were numb because he'd been dumb enough to pick up some snow on the way that quickly ate through the thin fabric.
"Brr!" said Naruto as he opened the door, throwing off his gloves and banishing them to the floor next to the entrance and hanging up his beanie, coat, and earmuffs.
"Just hang your stuff next to mine or you can just drape them over the couch. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable while I get the cocoa!"
Naruto grinned enthusiastically, disappearing into the kitchen and scrounging through his small kitchen for two mugs. The young ninja could hardly believe it, Haruno Sakura, his crush, had accepted his invitation and was sitting on his couch. They were going to drink cocoa together and since it was cold, the blond pictured some possible snuggling before remembering just who it was that was in the other room.
"Even if she punches me, it's worth a shot!" said the boy with a meaningful snicker while he prepared the hot beverages.
Back in the living room, Sakura gently pushed the door shut behind them. She hung up her coat, scarf, and gloves upon the rack next to Naruto's and gently kicked her shoes off next to the mat.
"Ah-Ah-Ah-ACHOO!"
The not so gentle sneeze slammed the girl back into the wall behind her, only causing a small laugh before she shook her head at herself and sat upon the couch. Looking around the room with a curious gaze, Sakura located the restroom, what must be Naruto's room, and the kitchen. Slowly lingering over to the mantle, the pink haired young woman's eyes darted downward to the fireplace. A little more to the right was some wood, and atop the mantle, a book of matches.
"Naruto kun, I'm going to start a fire if that's alright!"
Sakura called into the kitchen, receiving a very enthusiastic "Great idea, Sakura chan. I was going to do that when I finished in here!"
The girl nodded to herself, picking up the box of matches and removing one from its encasing, placing it by itself a few feet away from the larger mass of them.
"Arigato!"
Bending over in a way so as not to harm her back, the kunoichi took a few logs and placed them inside the hearth, stacking them in a way that assured both pieces of wood would be well lit. After dusting off her still very cold hands, Sakura took the match atop the mantle and ran it up the rough side of the box, watching as the flame sparked to life before her. Emerald eyes widened only slightly from the initial change in the atmosphere, quickly returning to their original state as the young woman carefully placed the lit match beneath the yearning logs. Within seconds, the crackling of burning wood was both visible and sensible, filling Sakura's slightly flared nostrils with the smell of a hearth brought to life.
Around this time, Naruto reentered the room with a small tray, big enough to hold both of the mugs and a small bag of marshmallows.
"It feels warmer already!" said the blond with a grin, placing himself on the couch next to the young woman who stared dreamily into the fire.
"Gomen for taking so long. I made yours last so that it would be the warmest."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, cheeks turning pink as his index finger reached up to gently scratch the redness away.
"Arigato, Naruto kun. It's not necessary though, baka."
Sakura took her mug and a small pinch of marshmallows, letting them fall into the hot beverage and bringing the sweet smelling liquid to her dry lips.
"Oishi.." said the pink haired young woman with a smile, absentmindedly laying her head upon the other's shoulder.
"It tastes amazing, Naruto kun. Sugoi nee."
Naruto just could not handle this. What was up with Sakura today? First, she had accepted his invitation, then she had complimented his beverage, and now she was laying on him.
Is this a dream..? If it is, I really don't wanna wake up anytime soon…
The blond smiled down at his friend, blue orbs softening every time he lay eyes on her. This may or may not be a dream, but what did it matter? Live in the moment rather than worry about what the future would hold, especially when it came to things such as this.
Could he tell what she was thinking? Was it obvious how she felt? Sakura wondered this to herself as she remained upon the other's shoulder. By now, she'd realized it and didn't seem to mind.
Maybe it's just the cold talking…or maybe it's because of these dreams I keep having…Either way, this is comfortable and I'm glad Naruto kun is here…
The young woman's pink locks drifted to the left, swaying in the direction of her resting head.
"Naruto kun..?" began the girl, heart fluttering when she realized what she was about to say.
Sakura realized sooner than later that it was too late. She had already spoken the words and could not take them back. Biting back on her bottom lip slightly, the young woman's emerald orbs darted away, cheeks turning red at the thought of what nearly came out of her mouth just now. Naruto looked over with curiosity swimming in his gaze, obviously wanting the other to continue.
"Hai, Sakura chan?"
Kuso..I shouldn't' have said anything..
How was she supposed to tell him that she loved him, that she needed him, and that lately he was all she could think about.? Sasuke was still always in the back of her mind, but it was because she missed her friend who had once been the center of her universe. It had come to be in the absence of the raven that Sakura's feelings had begun to shift, her eyes opened up to see that she'd been blinded and what she'd always wanted was right there in front of her.
Clearing her throat, Sakura thought harder. Her heart was racing now, going twice the speed that was normal, her palms got sweaty, her head reeling from the panic. What would he say? Would he accept her feelings? Would he reject her? The biggest fear present was the most obvious; Would he accuse her of lying again, thinking she was only saying this to get his mind off of Sasuke and his promise to her to bring him back.
I can't think about it anymore..I just have to do it!
Sakura had faced all kinds of hardships, several fights, much stronger enemies, so why was it that she would rather go through all of it tenfold than to be here right now and about to confess to her bubbly best friend?
There was a deep breath, one that hitched in the young woman's throat as she tried to intake the needed oxygen. Her pulse quickened, heart sped up even more, everything started to get sweaty and the nerves made the butterflies in Sakura's stomach feel worse. Without anymore thought, the young woman rose her head, inching closer to the other until their faces were inches apart, face red with the nervousness and fear she felt, and then it happened. Soft, warm lips lingered only for a moment or two, breathing softly as they finally closed the gap and pressed against Naruto's.
The blond's eyes widened. This couldn't be real, could it? It had to be a dream. Had Sakura really just kissed him? Was this happening? After the initial shock, blue hues disappeared behind the eyelids that slowly fluttered shut. Naruto's lips pressed back against the kunoichi's, first with softness before the young man's right arm snaked around Sakura's smaller frame to pull her closer. Within a few more seconds, the kiss deepened, turned passionate. There was heavy breathing on either side as the blond slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, being encouraged when the young woman opened her mouth a bit wider so as to allow entry. Their tongues danced like lovers, both pressing further into each other, and soon Sakura found herself on her back, Naruto crawling on top of her as the kiss heightened even more.
The kunoichi let out a moan of approval, wrapping her arms around Naruto with care, pouring her feelings into the intimate moment the two shared. A thousand words could have been spoken and it never would have been enough to explain how they both felt about each other. Sakura felt that this was right, this had been how to tell him, and obviously, Naruto didn't seem to disapprove.
"Naruto kun.." said Sakura in a breathy voice when she finally broke the seemingly endless dance of emotion.
"Shh, don't speak, Sakura chan.." replied Naruto with a soft smile, pulling her close again and just holding her this time.
A moment ago, they'd been in the heat of the moment, entrapped by each other's presence, but now, the softness had returned and nothing but purity existed.
Neither knew how long they sat there in each other's arms, the hurt, heartache, and despair of their friend's betrayal all seemed to melt away like the snow surely would in the next few days. Small crystalline tears escaped their prison and fell down Sakura's face as she held back a whimper of relief. They had been through so much together, Naruto and herself. Everything that had transpired throughout their few years together all led to this beautiful moment and for the first time in a long time, the young kunoichi felt pure joy.
"Naruto kun?"
"Hai, Sakura chan?"
"Daisuki desu.."
Naruto's only response was to smile, press his lips gently against the other's, and allow his hand to worm its way up to softly land on Sakura's cheek, stroking it with his thumb. This was what he'd always wanted and now it was happening.
This is a really good dream…
As if noticing the absent look in the blond's eyes, Sakura laughed softly, pinching her friend enough to make him squeak in pain.
"Itai! What was that for, Sakura chan?"
"You're not dreaming, baka."
"Hehe, good to know…Sakura chan?"
"Hai?"
"Will you go out with me..?"
"Of course I will."
This would be another Christmas without Sasuke, their dear friend, but it would be the first of many that Sakura and Naruto shared each other's company, laying affectionately in each other's arms, comforted just by the other's presence. They belonged to each other, belonged together, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura.
Sakura chan, my Sakura chan..Naruto mumbled as he snuggled closer to his Sakura blossom.
Naruto kun, my Naruto kun.." was the mumbled reply of the young woman, absentmindedly stroking the spiky blond hair of her nine tailed jinchuriki.
"Meri Kurisumasu, Sakura chan.."
"Meri Kurisumasu, Naruto kun.."