Author's Note: Hello! I'm glad to see that everyone is enjoying themselves so far! I hope you all liked to see a bit from Sasuke's POV. I noticed that usually Sakura is Naruto's friend in stories, and I thought it was fun to make her Sasuke's best friend instead. Please enjoy this next part, and don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review. Enjoy!
It had been a full two weeks, and Naruto still couldn't believe that those three idiots had abandoned him that night. While he was trying to get a hold of Vixen, they must have noticed someone heading for the door and quickly made their escape, leaving him in Sasuke's backyard looking like an idiot.
He had spent all his time since then trying to figure out what was causing the strange interference, adamantly avoiding going back to that café and running into Sasuke. Kiba thought it was hilarious, but Naruto was way too embarrassed to show his face to the handsome man. It was a given that Sasuke probably thought he was some creep, showing up in his backyard like that. Naruto honestly hadn't known it was his house, and when he saw him walk out in his pajamas he had felt a part of him die. Sasuke looked so cute with his hair all messed up and Naruto could feel his brain shutting down. Even worse, he was with that girl from before, the pink haired one. Clearly, they must be dating or something. Why else would she be there at night in her pajamas. Sasuke probably thought he was an idiot, pining after him like he was. He could just imagine Sasuke and that girl laughing at him after he left. Yeah, there was no way he was ever showing his face in that café ever again.
He had hoped that he would be able to finish his investigations quickly so he could go home and forget about his mortifying embarrassment, but to no avail. Naruto had thought maybe it was another magic at work, but he couldn't pinpoint anything. There was a strange chill every now in then, as if there might be something there, but Naruto could never figure out where it was coming from. For all he knew he was making it up. After all, it was getting colder, and Naruto was sure it would snow any day now. Kiba and the others were no help either. While they had thought the whole Santa's son and magical interference thing was cool, they seemed to find his tragic attraction to Sasuke even more interesting, and were constantly trying to get him back to the café. Apparently, Shikamaru had even talked to him about Naruto. Naruto had pelted him with a conjured snowball when he found out, consequences be damned.
"So, any luck?" Shikamaru asked as Kiba fed carrots to Vixen and Choji munched on an apple.
Naruto shook his head. "No. I can't figure it out. It's like I can feel there is something here, but I can't tell what it is, and I still don't know how it is affecting the List."
"And what about with Sasuke?" Kiba yelled form across the room, and Naruto had half a mind to throw a snowball at him as well. Shikamaru smirked at him, waiting for him to respond.
"Of course not. He probably thinks I'm some huge wierdo, and plus, he has a girlfriend."
"Well, you are a wierdo," Kiba said, laughing as Vixen finished his carrot.
"But there is no way he has a girlfriend," Shikamaru added.
"Well he definitely does. Why else would that girl have been there?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. He wished his friends would just let it go. He was already upset about it enough.
"Who knows, but my intuition says you're wrong," Shikamaru said. Naruto just waved him off.
"Whatever. I just want to focus on the interference and get back home."
"Then I assume you haven't figured it out yet?" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard that and spun around to come face to face with his dad.
"Uh, hi dad."
"Dad?" Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru said at the same time. Minato looked up and surveyed the three men before looking at his son with a raised eyebrow.
"Made friends I see." Naruto gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his neck as he took a few steps back.
"Yeah, uh, I can explain. See, they were delivering some hay for Vixen, and he jumped out of the barn, and they saw and, I didn't really have any choice but to tell them, you know?" Naruto rushed out, hoping his dad wouldn't be too mad at him. Minato just looked up at the other three men, eyeing them suspiciously before addressing them.
"Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji?" They all nodded. "I assume you've told no one?" They shook their heads rapidly. Minato nodded in approval. "And you've been giving Naruto a hard time?" They shook their heads once more, and Minato frowned. "That's too bad. He needs a taste of his own medicine," Minato said, his frown breaking as a mischievous smile broke out. The other three men stared at him for a moment before breaking out into laughter.
"Naruto, your dad is so cool," Kiba said.
"Who knew Santa had such a sense of humor," Choji laughed. Naruto frowned as everyone laughed at his expense. Once everyone's laughter died down, including Vixen's who Naruto could hear laughing, he turned to his dad.
"So what are you doing here? How did you get away from the workshop?" Minato settled down and looked at his son, now more serious.
"I left your mother in charge. I wanted to see what progress you've made. You hadn't come home so I got worried. Clearly I had a right to be. There is only two and a half weeks until Christmas and unless this gets fixed, this whole town is going to get skipped."
"I know," Naruto said, trying to fight off the guilt in his stomach. "I've been trying, but I can't figure it out."
"What do you mean?"
"It's like, I can feel something, but I can't pinpoint it, and half the time it isn't even there. My abilities aren't as sharp as yours yet," Naruto said, now feeling useless. If his dad had been here he would have figured it out in now time.
"Can't you stay?" Naruto asked. Minato shook his head.
"I have to get back to the workshop. I can take a quick look around though, see if I can figure out what it is you're sensing." Naruto nodded and began walking towards Kiba's truck.
"Great! Then let's go!" Naruto climbed into the car and everyone quickly followed, making sure the barn doors were shut. They drove into town, Kiba and Choji speaking animatedly with Minato. Their plan was to just drive around town until Naruto or his dad sensed something.
"So there are actual elves?" Kiba asked, glancing at Minato in the rearview mirror. Minato nodded. "Are they like, all short with rosy cheeks and pointy shoes?" Kiba continued. Minato and Naruto couldn't stop their laughter.
"I suppose some of them might, but most of them look just like you or me," Minato said. "Though they are a bit short. I'd say the average height is about five feet." Kiba and Choji looked like little kids as they talked, while Shikamaru sat in silent wonder. He wasn't as vocal about his interest, but his attention never left the conversation, which was rare.
"Wait," Minato suddenly said, startling everyone. Kiba quickly hit the brakes, causing the person behind him to honk loudly. He quickly pulled into a parking spot, and suddenly Naruto realized where they were. He instantly felt his stomach twist and his heart rate pick up.
"I definitely felt something when we turned down this street." Naruto only prayed they wouldn't go where he thought they would. It was just his luck. They climbed out of the car and followed as Minato led the way, Naruto's heart pounding so hard he thought it might rip from his chest.
"It's in here," Minato said, and Naruto thought he would die on the spot. Why did it have to be at the café? And, of course, Sasuke would be working as they walked in. Naruto blushed heavily and gave a slight wave, his dad's eyes zeroing in on the handsome cashier. Without missing a beat, Minato sauntered up to the counter and ordered a drink, warm smile in place. He exchanged a few words with Sasuke before walking back over to them.
"Naruto, you know that boy?"
"Well, kinda," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "Why?"
"Because whatever is going on is centered on him." Naruto's body instantly stiffened, and he couldn't stop from glancing at Sasuke, who was giving them a strange look.
"Are you sure?" Naruto asked. Minato nodded.
"I'm not sure how he's doing it, or if he's even aware of it, but you need to keep an eye on him and find out. There is something strange about that boy." Naruto frowned as he listened to his dad, and once again he looked at Sasuke, but to his surprise, he wasn't there.
"Where'd he go?" Naruto said, and everyone turned to see the empty counter. After a moment, a girl walked over and took over. Had they scared Sasuke off?
"Naruto, I'm counting on you. I have to go now," Minato said, walking out of the shop. Naruto didn't even bother following him, knowing he would be gone. One of the perks of being Santa, he didn't need reindeer to travel. The only reason he needed reindeer was to fly the sleigh, otherwise there was no way for him to carry all of the presents.
"Well, what are you going to do?" Shikamaru asked, and Naruto groaned before walking up to the girl at the counter.
"Excuse me, but do you know where Sasuke went?" The girl looked at him and nodded.
"He wasn't feeling well so he went home, which is pretty odd because I don't think I've ever seen him get sick." Naruto nodded and thanked the girl. He was just about to leave the shop when he heard his name being called out. Looking back, he saw another girl at the counter, holding a drink with his name on it. Naruto sighed and went over to take it. With the hot chocolate in hand, Naruto left the café, saying goodbye to his friends and making a b-line for Sasuke's house.
He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got there, but he had to go check it out. His dad said to keep an eye on him, and as much as he wanted to ignore his order like he had many other times, he couldn't knowingly condemn a whole town. When he made it there, he was glad to see that there was a car in the drive way, which indeed meant Sasuke must be home. With a deep breath, Naruto walked up, and knocked on his door. All Naruto could do was listen to his heart pound as he waited. Luckily, it didn't take Sasuke long to answer the door.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked. He was once again wearing his pajamas, despite it being only the midafternoon, and he definitely looked worse than when he was at the café.
"Um, I wanted to make sure you were okay. You suddenly left the café after talking to my dad—"
"That was your dad?" Sasuke interrupted, looking shocked, and Naruto nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure he didn't say anything weird to you." This only made Sasuke's brows to furrow further.
"Why would he have said something weird to me?" Now Naruto was beginning to feel flustered again.
"I don't know. I just, thought I should make sure. He can be a bit out there."
"Like father like son," Sasuke said, and Naruto looked at the ground, feeling a twinge of pain in his chest. Sasuke seemed irritated, which I guess Naruto couldn't blame him for, considering his freaky stalker had just shown up on his doorstep.
"Sorry," Sasuke said suddenly, and Naruto looked up, confused.
"For what?"
"That came out harsher than I meant," Sasuke sighed, rubbing his head and messing up his hair further. Rather than looking intentional, like it did when he was at work, his hair was slightly fluffy and spiked out at more random angles. Naruto wondered of her had been laying down.
"It's okay. I know I'm not really normal," Naruto said, trying to laugh but only managing to let out n uncomfortable chuckle.
"Do you want to come in?" Sasuke said, shocking Naruto enough he forgot about his uncomfortable laugh.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. You came all this way. The least I can do is offer you a drink," Sasuke said, opening the door further and stepping aside to allow Naruto in. Naruto cautiously stepped inside, enjoying the warmth. Sasuke's house was plain, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Unlike the rest of the town there were no Christmas decorations, but it still had character. The walls were a light tan color with beautiful hardwood floors that looked as if the wood was marbled. The furniture was a warm brown and there was a stone fireplace at the far wall of the living room. There were a few family photos on the fireplace mantle, while a large T.V. sat above it. There was a knitted blanket strewn across the sofa along with a plush pillow. Sasuke must have been laying on it before Naruto came.
"Feel free to have a seat. I'll make some hot chocolate." Naruto nodded his head and took off his shoes, his sock clad feet moving quietly across the hard wood floor. There was a plush rug under the coffee table and Naruto enjoyed walking on it as he sat on the couch. It only took a few minutes for Sasuke to come back with the hot chocolate, and the distinctive smell of mint caused Naruto to grin broadly.
"Is that peppermint?" Naruto asked, reaching out for the large mug. To Naruto's surprise Sasuke actually laughed. He'd never seen more than an amused chuckle from him before this and he had to say, it looked good on him.
"You seem to like it."
"Don't tell me you knew I was coming over?" Naruto said, laughing at the idea. Sasuke must have thought it was funny too, because once again Naruto was graced with his laugh.
"My friend really likes hot chocolate, so I keep a supply of different flavors for whenever the mood strikes her," Sasuke explained, taking a seat in the arm chair. Naruto nodded, thinking of the girl with pink hair.
"Is it the girl with the pink hair? From the other night?" Naruto couldn't stop from asking. Sasuke nodded and Naruto's heart sank.
"Yeah. She comes over whenever she wants and gets mad if I don't have any." Naruto took a large gulp of his hot chocolate, ignoring the burn on his tongue.
"You must be close. Is she your girlfriend?" Naruto tried to ask it as casually as possible, but he was sure he wasn't hiding how invested he was in the answer. To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke looked absolutely disgusted by the question.
"Hell no. We agreed long ago that we could only be friends." Naruto nodded, a weight lifting from his chest and the knots in his stomach loosening.
"Oh, okay." They sat in silence for a solid minute, and Naruto wasn't sure if Sasuke felt awkward, but Naruto definitely did.
"So how come you left work? If it wasn't my dad scaring you off. The girl said you never get sick," Naruto finally asked. He was almost done with his hot chocolate and now he needed another conversation to distract him.
"I don't know. Your dad ordered his drink, asked if I knew you, and then a few minutes later I started feeling sick. It was like the room was spinning."
"Are you running a fever?" Naruto asked, and before he knew what he was doing he reached over and rested a hand against his forehead. Sasuke jumped back, startled, and Naruto quickly apologized, realizing what he'd done.
"It's okay. You just startled me. I don't think I have a fever," Sasuke said, and Naruto nodded. In fact, Sasuke's forehead felt quite cool.
"Maybe you just got dehydrated or something. Or maybe you haven't been getting enough sleep?" Sasuke shrugged and Naruto frowned. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. Then suddenly, an idea came to him. What if it had to do with the reason for the interference? Maybe whatever it was, was affecting Sasuke as well. As inconspicuously as possible, Naruto inched closer to Sasuke and tried to sense anything that might be there. Naruto almost gasped when a sudden blip could be felt. As if it was just under the surface, breaching for air. He couldn't figure out what it was, but he knew it had to be the cause of everything. He couldn't tell if it was magic, but if he could sense it, it had to be something like that. But why would there be something magical latching onto Sasuke? As far as he could tell, Sasuke was completely human. If he wasn't, Naruto would have been able to sense his magic signature. It wasn't unheard of for magical creatures to live in the human world, or even breed with humans, but it wasn't common, and usually they were easy to spot.
"Naruto? Are you okay?" Naruto started out of his daze and looked at Sasuke, his expression concerned.
"Huh?"
"You just kind of zoned out there."
"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking of something my dad told me," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Has anything like this happened before?" Sasuke shook his head.
"This is the first time. I'm sure it was nothing," he said, waving it off.
"Yeah, probably," Naruto agreed, finishing the last of his hot chocolate. "Well, I guess I should get going. I'll let you get some rest." Naruto stood up and went for the door, but was stopped when he noticed the window. How had they not noticed it was snowing? In fact, it looked like it was coming down hard.
"Woah, when did it start snowing?" Sasuke said, walking up behind Naruto and starring out the window. "You didn't drive here, did you?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto shook his head. "I can give you a ride if you want," Sasuke offered.
"Uh, yeah, that would be great." Naruto was a bit nervous having Sasuke go to the barn, but he really didn't want to get caught walking home if it got worse. It was then that he noticed how dark it had gotten. Sasuke pulled on his shoes and coat and opened the door, ready to walk out when a sudden gust blew snow into the entrance. Sasuke quickly shut the door, sighing.
"Man, it looks like it's going to be a blizzard. I don't think I can drive in that," Sasuke said, looking up at Naruto. "I guess you'll have to stay here until it blows over."
"Uh, that's okay, I'm sure I'll be fine," Naruto said, moving towards the door. Sasuke instantly moved to hold it closed.
"No way I'm letting you walk out in that. You'll freeze to death." Sasuke's face was hard and determined and Naruto sighed.
"Fine." He totally wanted to stay with Sasuke, and it would be good for the investigation, but somehow Naruto knew something would go wrong. It was just his luck.
