First snow
A/N: Pure self-indulgence written because I miss snow so much right now. Born and bred in the cold, I still can't quite get used to the idea of a winter without it. And before everybody starts raising their eyebrows, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, lol. Just not the kind of winter I long for.
Rated K+
Fluff until your teeth rot
Beta-read by the fabulous iBloo. Thank you, Sweetie!
They had been going out for a couple of months when Konohamaru first realised that he loved her.
It wasn't an earth-shaking, flooring epiphany. More like a warm sensation as he watched her, hands up in the air and twirling around herself in joy.
She had come back from a mission with her team around lunch, a boring maintenance D-rank that had taken the better part of the week. After she had refreshed herself—warmed herself under a hot shower and handed in the paperwork, he had suggested they would go out to dinner and catch a late movie. There wasn't any specific occasion, he had no other motive than being glad she was back, but she happily agreed and beamed up at him when he asked.
Being the late showing, and it being in the middle of the week, they were practically alone in the cinema. If questioned about it later, he wouldn't have been able to tell anyone what the movie had been about. Despite it being his idea to go out, he had something else far more interesting pulling at his attention.
They discovered when they left the movie, around midnight, that it had started to snow at some point while they'd been inside, transforming the familiar streets into something new, fresh, and sparkly. Now the streets were covered in a thick, soft blanket of white that crunched underneath their boots and dampened every sound.
Hanabi's eyes lit up with joy and she pulled him out into the heavy white whirls, laughing and catching snowflakes on her nose. Despite the late hour, her energy was contagious and he thought her excitement adorable.
"I love the first snow!" she exclaimed giddily. Her breath made small puffy clouds in the cold air and her cheeks were already starting to redden, but unlike earlier in the day, when she had complained about freezing down to her bones and the whining from her Genin team during the mission, all thoughts of the temperature seemed forgotten. Hanabi held her hands up in the air and giggles filled the empty street around them.
I love you. He thought, and suddenly he couldn't think of anything else. She was so beautiful, surrounded by falling snow glittering in the street lights. Her long hair and loose clothing danced behind her as she moved and her eyes reflected the neon lights of the cinema, illuminating them in bright red and orange.
Hanabi came to a stop. She pulled him close to give him a quick peck and he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes as he deepened the kiss.
Big mistake.
While she eagerly reciprocated, if he had kept them open he might have gotten a warning. As it was now, she unceremoniously dropped down on the pathway, pulling him with her. His eyes flew up and he threw his arms out to catch both of them.
"Hanabi?! What are you doing? We're in the middle of the street!" he sputtered once he'd gotten his equilibrium back and straightened himself out properly. He tried not to shudder at the feeling of the cold snow on his hands and glared at her, but she just laughed and fell backwards until her back touched the ground.
"So?" she challenged, "It's in the middle of the night, no one's out anymore. The cinema has closed and everybody's gone home. I love looking up when it snows. I know it might seem silly, but even though it's impossible, I always try to see the stars above," she said before blinking away the snow falling in her eyes, tilting her head to the side and smiling at him, and he gulped.
Yeah, he was a goner, all right.
