Hello dears! :) I've returned briefly with a NaruSaku one-shot! :D Something fluffy & sweet for the upcoming Holidays. ^^
I wrote this as a secret Santa gift for the NaruSaku Exchange on Tumblr; my gift receivee was kirabook, who can also be found here on :) Go check her out!
I hadn't had much time to focus on my "Naruto" WIPs due to exam week, but I just finished my last exam yesterday so hopefully I'll have time during my break to get rolling on those WIPs again :) And maybe you'll finally get to see some of that NaruSaku fic I've been hinting about! *fingers crossed*

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto. :)
Enjoy!

An Unexpected Gift

He could see the snow as it fell in slow motion outside of his hospital window, coating the entire village in a soft blanket. His blue eyes were envious of those he could hear enjoying the weather, while he was here, confined to a hospital bed. On Christmas!

'Just my luck.' He pouted, crossing his bandaged arms over his similarly bandaged chest. 'The whole gang is gonna get to go to the barbeque place and I'm stuck here…' Azure eyes twinkled with mischief as he glanced at the table next to his bedside, imagining the gift he'd hidden inside for a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

'I could always use that as an excuse…'

"Plotting your escape, Naruto?" As though he'd conjured her with just a thought, there appeared Haruno Sakura at the foot of his bed, straightening as though she'd placed something on the floor. She quirked one fine pink brow knowingly, her lips pursed sternly though her jade eyes belied her amusement. Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sakura-chan! I didn't expect to see you today." He replied, effectively evading her inquiry. Sakura smirked at him—she didn't need vocal confirmation to know she'd been right—as she made her way to his side, placing a gentle hand on his bandaged forehead.

"And why wouldn't I want to see my teammate on Christmas?" she asked lightly, checking his temperature out of habit. Naruto swatted at her hand, whining about being fine and feeling great but Sakura ignored his assurances; he always brushed off near-death experiences like they were nothing. She supposed she ought to be used to it by now, but he still frightened the life out of her.

"Oh, oh!" the blonde suddenly exclaimed. Sakura met his eyes as he bounced like an excited puppy, injuries seemingly nonexistent, his signature grin plastered across his whiskered face. Feeling the contagious smile affecting her own lips, she waited as he motioned towards the drawer of his bedside table, urging her to open it and take whatever was inside. His merriment was hard to ignore, so she complied.

Reaching inside, her hands closed over a small, palm-sized package wrapped in red and green paper topped with a silver bow; a nametag peeked out from beneath it, addressed to her in Naruto's handwriting. Her eyes met his in surprise and she asked bewilderedly, "What's this?"

"Open it and find out!" he answered mysteriously, grin still intact. Sakura gave a small laugh of stunned delight before tearing into the paper to reveal a jewelry box; breath held, she opened it slowly, lips parting in a small gasp upon seeing the gift.

A silver charm bracelet lay in the plush confines of the box, already bearing two charms: a cherry blossom and a swirled circle. Warmth flooded her cheeks and she found she'd met Naruto's gaze once more, speechless.

"I know you don't really wear jewelry," he began, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "But I thought it suited you. You can add charms to it; I saw those on display and thought you might like them." A faint flush tainted his cheeks as he waited for her reaction; unsure how to express herself, Sakura scrambled to stall, asking curiously, "How did you…?"

"Trade secret," he answered immediately, shifting his eyes away and she knew he'd broken the rules and sent a shadow clone. Laughing to herself she plucked the piece of jewelry from its box and fingered it gently as she murmured, "I love it, Naruto. Thank you." His trademark grin reappeared and he chirped happily, "Sure thing, Sakura-chan! Merry Christmas." She gave him a warm smile in answer and replaced the bracelet carefully as she said, as though suddenly remembering, "Oh, that reminds me."

Naruto watched curiously as she moved to the foot of his bed to retrieve a package wrapped in orange paper; it didn't dawn on him until she placed it on his lap that it was for him.

'A gift. From Sakura-chan. To me?'

Mouth agape, he stared at it in wonder, asking naïvely, "What's this?"

Her sweet laugh and amused tone convinced him even more than her words, "Your Christmas present, baka. I didn't forget about you."

"Sakura-chan…" awed, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. Her lips smirked in amusement, but her eyes were gentle as she encouraged him, "Go ahead; open it. It's not much but…" she shrugged as though it was no big deal.

'Doesn't matter what it is. From you, it's everything.' Before the thought could escape his lips, he tore into the wrapping paper eagerly, lifting the lid of the box that lay beneath to reveal a jacket. His jacket, to be exact.

"Sakura-chan, you—?!" at his surprised gasp, she shrugged again, cheeks tinted with pink as she replied, "Like I said, it's not much but I thought you might like it back. In one piece, of course. I just patched it up for you is all."

"Patched up" was an understatement; the last time he'd seen this jacket had been weeks ago when she'd torn it from his body in her urgency to tend to the gaping wound that had only narrowly missed his spine and had ultimately had landed him in the very hospital bed he now occupied; the jacket had been shredded in various places from the prior battle and had sported a hole in the back the width of his shoulders. It should have been irreparable.

"Sakura-chan…" he breathed quietly; feeling his throat tightening, he paused to regain his emotions. He wondered if she understood how much this simple gift meant to him; it wasn't even the fact that she'd returned something to him he had grown fond of over time—after all, it was just a piece of cloth in the end—but simply that she'd cared enough. She could have given him something completely impersonal—socks, or winter gear—and it would have meant the same, because it came from her and meant she was thinking of him.

Sakura watched as he stared at the returned gift, blonde tufts of hair covering his eyes from her sight, though she witnessed his chin quivering; feeling her heart soften, she sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for him as she asked gently, "Naruto? Are you—?"

She squeaked in surprise when the blonde practically launched himself at her, flinging his arms around her in a tight hug, a huge grin on his face as he giggled boyishly. Suddenly it was all she could do to make out his words, so fast did they spill from his lips.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan, this is awesome! Really, I couldn't have asked for a better present—a better Christmas—than this. I love—" he paused in his breathless ramblings when he heard her soft laugh in his ear and felt her arms embrace him in return.

"Merry Christmas, Naruto." Closing his eyes, he savored the moment; the sweet words, the gentle embrace she hadn't yet attempted to break. Finally he pulled back, knowing if he held on any longer it'd embarrass her. He grinned at her happily as she stood, straightening her shirt as she tried to hide her matching smile.

"I'm glad you like it," she told him, and he could tell she was. "I've got to go visit my parents now, since I blew off our annual holiday breakfast to come here." She turned to go but he called out before she could.

"Sakura-chan, wait!" he exclaimed, mischief dancing in his baby-blues. She quirked a brow at him in question and he pointed above his head at the ceiling. Following his direction, Sakura lifted her gaze until jade orbs focused on the bundle of mistletoe hanging just above both of their heads. She heard Naruto's childish giggles at his clever trick and found herself chuckling. Meeting his gaze, she leaned down so that they were nearly nose-to-nose before rapping her knuckles over his head playfully in answer. He whined at her, rubbing his head as she grinned, stepping away and heading towards the door.

"Baka. See you later; oh, and make sure you empty the pockets before you wash it." Nodding towards the jacket, she gave him a mischievous wink before she finally exited the hospital room, leaving Naruto alone once again. His mood significantly lighter, Naruto grinned; the mistletoe had been worth a shot after all. Curious as to what her last comment had meant, he began digging into the jacket pockets until his fingers were met with a small, thin, plastic rectangle. Pulling the object from the pocket, Naruto glanced at it before giving a whoop of anticipation; a year's supply of Itchiraku's ramen!

'She really gets me,' he thought with a grin before immediately leaping from the bed, throwing on his newly repaired jacket, and sneaking out of the window to go enjoy the full extent of his Christmas present.

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! R&R is most certainly appreciated :3

~Miah-Chan