Getting there! I'm almost done with Day 10 and Day 11 is chatting with my muse to iron out their contract.
I'll leave off here and let you guys read. Back to work with me!
Naruto was many things. He was loud, vivacious, and caring given how he grew up. Many others would have turned out differently. He was also oddly perceptive about many things but nothing about himself unless he took time to sit and write it down to analyze. He noticed that there was more than meets the eye about Deidara and his pyromaniac tendencies; he could tell that there was more than a tough life that made Karin act the way she did. But he never understood his own circumstances.
Sai had watched the blonde since they met at the interview. Something about the blonde just caught his attention and it wasn't the hair. Even Sai's own stunted emotional growth could tell the blonde was bothered by something. But the blonde was able to hide it well even amongst all the loud holiday cheer of the office party.
The small tree was in the corner of the lounge and underneath it were several wrapped gifts from the employees for tonight's white elephant exchange. You could almost tell who brought what gift by the wrapping paper, unless it was wrapped at a store. The oddest shaped one was wrapped in a loud fire-engine red with blue swirls – it practically screamed Naruto.
***
The blonde had fun at the office party. He watched several of the more shuttered interns and rare employee get tipsy or even plastered on the eggnog and spiked punch courtesy of Suigetsu who had worked at a bar during his college years. He still had people he kept in touch with. Only when Sakura's date accidentally grabbed the spiked punch did the party end as he started flailing around, challenging anyone who even looked at him funny. As it was, whenever he sobered up, he would have to pay for the coffee maker and the microwave, as well as the broken window.
But the best thing about the party…it made him forget about the hauntingly familiar gifts that kept reminding him of his parents. Made him think of the times before he father lost his job; made him drag up faint memories of joy and laughter. But it made him realize that, though he had no blood family growing up, he managed quite well, finding family in his foster father, his few schoolmates, his co-workers, and his friends.
The blonde smiled into his muffler as he pulled his coat a bit closer. This winter seemed to be the coldest yet.
***
The apartment door swung open with nary a creak and he stood for a moment in the doorway staring at the twinkling Christmas tree with its gifts underneath. There was a new one tonight along with a new card. Naruto had stopped being surprised by finding the gifts, but he still wondered how the person got in. Was it through the locked front door, the shut windows on the fourth floor, or even more magically, does he phase through walls or go down the nonexistent chimney?
Naruto walked in and shut the door, locking it as he switched to house shoes and hung up his coat behind the door. A quick shower and a glass of water later had him walking into his room with another glass and a bottle of pain relievers, just in case he woke up with a headache. Alcohol had that way with him whether or not he drank past being buzzed just a bit. He would either wake up with a horrible headache or be fine, but if it was the former, he'd rather have the medicine ready than to fumble through the cabinet for them later.
And lo and behold, there lying on his bed was one of those clothes boxes again. But this time it was much smaller, probably about half the size of the one that held the kimono, which was still in its box and placed in the bottom of his drawers. This time, the note was simple and pinned to the warm looking jacket.
Though not the original, it was your father's favorite for the cold season.
He pulled out the jacket with knit sleeves. The jacket body was darker than the sleeves and had those really cool pockets littered around which Naruto spent some time finding, like the one on the inside that would hold your mp3 player of that hidden one by the seam that would hold thin glasses, not those modern plastic ones, and there was even a pocket within a pocket! Naruto was practically vibrating with excitement at the jacket. There was probably one he couldn't even find yet! Setting it down, Naruto picked up the note instead. His father huh?
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
It's warm for the recent cold.
And you'll need it later too.
Not that Naruto read the Christmas card at all…
Here ends the (late) Day 9! Think family's going out to dinner in a bit, so I'll post up Day 10 when I get back. And hopefully Day 11 before midnight PST.
And if I can manage any earlier (or feel like not sleeping) you'll get Day 12 Christmas Day!
