Author's Note: Yo! I hope you guys liked last chapter. I wrote these all before uploading this story so I find myself forgetting what is in each chapter, haha. Even so, I hope you guys are still enjoying it. I'm excited to get to the end and find out how you all like it. If I remember correctly, it is after this chapter when we start sort of barreling forward. Only a few more chapters to go! Please, let me know what you all are thinking! I love to hear form you. Anyway, please Favorite, Follow, and Review. Enjoy!


"You can wear these to sleep in," Sasuke said, handing Naruto a pair of pajama pants that matched his own, just in a different color, as well as a plain t-shirt.

"Thanks," Naruto said, a blush in place as he grabbed the clothes.

"The restroom is just down the hall on the right." Naruto nodded and quickly made his escape. Once in the bathroom, Naruto locked the door and stared at himself in the mirror. He could do this! He just had to focus on figuring out what was causing the interference. Even if Sasuke didn't know about it, surely, he could tell Naruto something useful. Magic didn't just latch onto someone casually. It always did so with a purpose. If Naruto could figure out what that purpose was, maybe he could figure out how to stop it. If he just kept on focus, then hopefully he wouldn't do or say anything too embarrassing.

With a firm nod to himself, Naruto changed into the warm, oversized clothes, and left the bathroom. He had balled his clothes up and sat them next to the couch before sitting down. Naruto was vaguely confused by the size of the clothes, because Sasuke didn't look any bigger than him, but then he noticed they were big on Sasuke too. If Naruto thought about it, all of Sasuke's clothes looked oversized. He hadn't noticed it before, but thinking back, while his clothes weren't unflattering, they were definitely big on the man. It made Naruto wonder what Sasuke's body actually looked like.

"You get lost?" Sasuke said, a smirk in place, but Naruto just looked at him in confusion. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I was making a joke about you taking so long," he said, and Naruto felt his cheeks heat up.

"Oh! Sorry. It was funny," he tried, not wanting to make Sasuke feel bad, and forcing out a laugh.

"It's fine, don't hurt yourself," Sasuke said, waving it off. "Did you want more hot chocolate? Or I have other drinks if not." Naruto shook his head, but Sasuke stood anyway. "Okay well I'm going to have some eggnog."

"Eggnog?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke looked at him surprised.

"You do know what eggnog is, don't you?" Sasuke asked incredulously, and Naruto nodded. Of course he knew what eggnog was. His parents drank it often. They said it was a great way to keep warm, but if Naruto remembered correctly there was usually alcohol in it, and his parents had never let him have any.

"Yeah, I've just never had it." Sasuke looked even more surprised by this and after a moment he disappeared into the kitchen. Naruto waited patiently, wondering what Sasuke was doing, until he finally came out holding two large cups.

"Here," Sasuke said, handing the glass to Naruto. Naruto took it and sniffed, recognizing the milky appearance of eggnog. Naruto scrunched up his nose, a strange smell penetrating his nose. Sasuke looked at him expectantly, and so not wanting to refuse his hospitality, Naruto took a careful sip. Despite it's funny smell, it actually didn't taste too bad. There was a bit of a strange taste that Naruto didn't recognize, but it was covered up by the taste of cinnamon. Naruto instantly felt his stomach start to warm up.

"So what do you think? It's basically a Christmas staple," Sasuke said, and Naruto grinned.

"I like it." Naruto could understand why his parents enjoyed it, and wondered why they never let him have it.

"Good. I don't think we could be friends if you didn't," Sasuke chuckled, and Naruto grinned. Sasuke was so much more easy-going at home, and he was starting to become addicted to his laugh. It was rather carefree and gentle.

"Well I'm glad I like it then," Naruto laughed. He took another sip as he looked around the room. Catching sight of the family photo's once more, Naruto remembered his objective and turned to Sasuke.

"Is that your family?" he asked, catching Sasuke's attention, who had flipped on the T.V. Sasuke looked up and Naruto was surprised to see the frown on his face.

"Yeah." Naruto waited for further elaboration, but was given none. Naruto once again got the feeling that this was personal business, and he shouldn't be nosy, but he ignored that feeling and pushed forward. He had a job to do after all.

"Do they live nearby?" Clearly Sasuke had some negative feelings about his family, so maybe that had something to do with the magic.

"They did." The simple answers were so clearly a sign that Sasuke didn't want to talk about it, and Naruto felt bad pushing, but he really needed—and wanted—to know.

"Did they move?" Sasuke sent a glare at Naruto before sighing and looking back at the T.V. Naruto felt his heart ache at the glare, and the sudden sadness that melted into Sasuke's eyes made Naruto instantly wish he had just stopped asking.

"They died." Naruto's eyes widened and he quickly looked down at his mug, shame turning his face red.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No," Sasuke said, sighing and shaking his head. "It's not a secret, everyone in town knows. There was a fire at our family home last year, and my whole family was killed. I had just gotten back to school after visiting for the holidays." The sadness and pain in Sasuke's eyes made Naruto's heart wrench and he could feel tears pricking in his eyes. He couldn't imagine losing his entire family like that.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke. Is that why there are no decorations?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It's hard to get into the spirit." Naruto nodded. That made sense.

"Was Christmas a big deal in your family?" Naruto asked. Sasuke might be feeling sad, but Naruto could also see the love he felt for his family. Maybe bringing up better memories would help.

"Not in particular, but the town always makes a big deal of it, and it was hard not to get super festive. My family was a big deal in the town, and so we had to put on a good show. We always got a huge tree, and put it right in the front window." Naruto could see Sasuke's eyes begin to glimmer as he talked about his family.

"That sounds amazing. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. It's kind of hard for it not to be," Naruto added, laughing.

"Your family is big into Christmas?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto let out barking laughter.

"You could say that. It's pretty much our whole world." Sasuke nodded. He seemed to be in a better mood now, and Naruto grinned, feeling more relaxed. He didn't like seeing Sasuke in a bad mood.

Suddenly, Naruto noticed a flare up of that feeling, the one that caused his body to shiver. It must be the magic, but what had caused it? Naruto leaned closer, hoping to get a better feel. If he could tell what kind of magic it was, it might help. Unfortunately, Sasuke stood at that moment and left for the kitchen. When he came back, he was carrying a large bottle. It was Christmas themed, and when he set it down Naruto could see the label read 'Eggnog.'

"Saves us a trip," Sasuke said, and poured himself another glass. Naruto nodded and took another sip of his cup. He didn't know how Sasuke was drinking it so fast. Naruto was starting to feel a bit odd, and he could only blame the eggnog, but Sasuke seemed fine.

"So how did you meet Shikamaru?" Sasuke suddenly asked, flipping to a Christmas movie.

"I met him through Kiba."

"Kiba?"

"The guy with crazy brown hair. They were delivering some hay and feed for me." It took Naruto a good few seconds before he realized what he'd said.

"You have a horse?" Sasuke asked, looking very interested. Naruto jumped, and he tried to think about what was being said, but for some reason his brain wasn't moving quite as fast anymore.

"Uh, yeah, a horse," Naruto finally said after a few beats. Sasuke gave a small smile, and Naruto felt his heart skip a beat.

"My family used to raise horses. We had a whole stable."

"Really?"

Sasuke nodded. "It was sold after the fire. I kind of miss being able to go riding."

"Well why don't you buy one?" Naruto asked, his cheeks a rosy pink and his eyes half lidded. He'd finished his glass of eggnog and carefully poured another.

"I could, but I would need to pay to house it somewhere, and I don't have the time to care for it."

"Is it expensive?" Naruto asked. He had quickly learned that money was not only essential in the human world, but not everyone had the same amount.

"You should know if you have a horse," Sasuke said, and Naruto suddenly remembered his lie.

"Oh! Uh, yeah. My family actually has a stable back home. My parents are paying for me to keep him here."

"You sound like I used to. You really do live in a little fantasy world," Sasuke said, laughing. Naruto joined in, not completely understanding the implication.

"Is that a bad thing?" Naruto finally asked.

Sasuke seemed to think about the answer before speaking. "No, it's kind of endearing. Unfortunately, I've grown quite cynical."

"You don't seem very cynical to me," Naruto said. His vision was becoming a bit fuzzy and he was steadily forgetting why he was there and what he was supposed to be doing. Instead, Naruto was becoming more and more enraptured by Sasuke's presence. His hair was somehow looking more and more soft the messier it got, and Naruto had an urge to pet it, and see if it was as soft as the rabbits that hopped around the North Pole.

"Somehow, you seem to chase it away," Sasuke said, and Naruto blushed, making his already warm cheeks feel like they were burning. How did his parents drink this all the time? He felt like he was burning up now. Maybe he should change.

"Thanks. Um, do you have anything else I could wear? It's suddenly really hot," Naruto asked, using his hand to fan himself. Maybe it was because he was used to the North Pole and sleeping in the barn. Sasuke probably had the heater on too.

"Yeah, hold on." Sasuke jumped from the couch and disappeared through the hallway before coming back a moment later with a pair of shorts in hand. They looked like they were made of sweatpants material and although they looked like they would be warm, it was better than the pajama pants he was wearing.

Sasuke handed him the shorts and Naruto quickly thanked him before standing from the couch and pulling off the pajama pants.

"Uh, you can use the bathroom if you want," Sasuke said, his cheeks turning pink.

"I'm good," Naruto said with a grin. He quickly pulled on the shorts and sighed. "Much better. So what are we watching anyway?" He flopped back onto the couch and turned to the T.V. Sasuke stared at him a moment before turning to the T.V.

"Uh, some made for T.V. Christmas movie. I think it's called Holiday in Handcuffs. Basically, this lady kidnaps a customer from her crappy job and forces him to meet her parents pretending to be her boyfriend." Naruto laughed.

"That sounds ridiculous."

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "But it's pretty good. I saw it last year with Sakura." Naruto couldn't help but pout at hearing the pink haired girl's name. They were so close, and Naruto was jealous. Maybe he should kidnap Sasuke and bring him home. What would his parents think? His dad would probably scold him. His mom would probably be excited. It wasn't often she got to meet new people. His mom was such a lively person.

They sat in silence as they watched the movie, Naruto becoming more and more enraptured by it as he finished a second glass of eggnog. He was laughing quite obnoxiously whenever anything remotely funny happened, and a part of Naruto was sure Sasuke must be getting annoyed with him. Whenever he looked over at him though, Sasuke didn't look upset, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. When the movie finally ended, Naruto was a ball of joy.

"Did you see that?" he yelled at Sasuke, jumping from the couch. "He bought her painting!" Naruto was jumping up and down, laughing loudly and cheering. "So sweet!" Sasuke laughed, watching as Naruto made a fool of himself. Suddenly, Naruto collapsed back onto the couch, feeling tired and dizzy.

"Are you okay there?" Sasuke asked as Naruto tipped over and rested his head against his shoulder.

"Yep. Feelin' great," Naruto said, sighing as he rested. It was quiet for a few moments, and Naruto thought he might doze off when he heard Sasuke say something.

"What was that?" Naruto asked. Naruto wasn't positive but Sasuke sort of looked like he was nervous.

"Uh, how come you hadn't been to the café for the past two weeks?" it took Naruto a moment to understand the question, but when he did, he sat up, feeling embarrassed.

"I couldn't face you."

Sasuke seemed surprised. "How come?"

"Because I made a fool of myself that night in your back yard. You definitely think I'm some creep." Naruto fiddled with his fingers as he looked down at the plush carpet beneath his feet. Naruto was shocked to hear Sasuke's loud laughter. When he looked over, Sasuke was bent over, tears in his eyes. Naruto wasn't sure how to react and just stared at him with large, confused eyes.

"Naruto," Sasuke started through his laughter, a warm smile breaking through his hysterics. "Do you like me?" Naruto froze, not sure what to say, but before he could think about it, his lips were moving.

"Yeah."

Sasuke sighed, his smile wavering. "Naruto, you're drunk."

"I don't know what that means, but it doesn't matter." Sasuke looked baffled at Naruto.

"You don't—Do you even know what I'm asking?"

Naruto frowned and made sure to look Sasuke in the eyes while he spoke. He had to make sure he got this right. "Of course I do. You asked if I'd like to do this with you," Naruto said, and leaned in, capturing Sasuke's lips in a soft kiss. He wasn't ignorant. He knew what liking someone meant. Some things were universal, and Naruto had been alive for a while, he wasn't a stranger to intimacy.

Naruto frowned when Sasuke jumped back, looking at Naruto with wide eyes. He looked flustered, and Naruto immediately regretted his actions.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Ah!" Naruto's apology was cut off by Sasuke's cry as he clutched his head. Naruto moved closer, worry replacing his guilt.

"Sasuke, are you okay?" Sasuke shook his head, eyes squeezing shut as he ground his teeth together.

"Is it the same as before?" Naruto asked. Sasuke remained silent, and Naruto was about to ask again when he felt an intense amount of magic come off of Sasuke. It nearly knocked Naruto on his butt at the intensity, and unlike before, this flare up didn't die down. Instead, it remained at high intensity, only fluctuating slightly. It was as if something was trying to get out.

"Damn it," Sasuke ground out between his teeth, crawling from the couch and falling onto the floor. Naruto was in a panic, not knowing how to help. Was this his fault? Maybe the magic was reacting to his own. The same thing might have happened when Sasuke had talked to Minato, which was why he had felt sick.

"Hang on Sasuke, I'll fix this." Naruto knelt down beside Sasuke and reached out a hand, laying it on his side. With a deep breath, Naruto focused on the magic signature coming from Sasuke and slowly began pulling it into himself. He could feel his own magic wrapping around it and as he pulled more and more into him Naruto could feel his body become colder. Once Sasuke relaxed Naruto pulled his hand back and he was surprised to see it had become pale, and Naruto couldn't stop shivering. It felt like he had just eaten a large cup of ice.

Naruto looked back down at Sasuke and frowned when he saw he was asleep. Sighing, Naruto pulled Sasuke into his arms and stood up. He carried him down the hall and to the only other door besides the bathroom. Naruto laid him on his bed and pulled the covers over him. It was hard for Naruto to tell, but Sasuke's skin also felt rather cold. Once he was sure Sasuke would be warm enough, Naruto left the room and curled up on the couch. He pulled the blanket off the back and curled up, sighing. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. It was clear that not only was Sasuke at the center of the interference, but he was causing it. The amount of magic holed up in Sasuke was quite large and could easily affect the List's magic. It felt old, like his or his father's magic, but he didn't recognize it, nor could he figure out why it would be in Sasuke. Naruto wasn't sure how, but he would have to figure out how to fix it fast, because it seemed like it was hurting Sasuke as well.