Chapter Seven; Here Comes Santa Claus
Sakura watched Sasuke walk away before she turned back to look over at Naruto who leapt up onto the couch and started covering himself with a blanket in front of the crackling fire. "There, now maybe I can finally warm the heck up!" he grouched.
"Uh hey Naruto, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sakura asked him nervously.
"Sure. What is it sis?" he questioned her back.
"Well, it's about Sasuke." She began.
"Oh yeah, him." Naruto responded with a sniff. "Well, what about him?"
"Well, I was just sort of wondering why you wouldn't let him help you." She said.
"Because all he does is baby me! He doesn't think that I can take care of myself!" he snapped at her.
"Sasuke loves you Naruto. And I know that he might seem like he's overprotective of you sometimes, and actually he probably is. But that's only because he already lost his brother Itachi. And right now you're the closest thing he has to having a brother again. Look Naruto, Sasuke told me not to tell you this but he told me that he loves you as much as he loves me just in a different way." She told him.
"Huh?" Naruto questioned her widening his eyes at her.
"In fact sometimes I think he loves you even more than he loves me. And I know for a fact that his biggest regret was not having a chance to spend more time with Itachi and actually get to know the truth about him. Just put yourself in his shoes. You might as well spend as much time with him as you can because you never know which moment is your last. That's how Sasuke has been living his life ever since he came back." She told him when all of a sudden Naruto heaved a heavy sad sigh and hung his head.
"Gee Sakura, I guess I never really thought about that before. I guess it is sort of nice having somebody love you that much." He began. "I sure hope that he isn't mad at me and that he will stop ever I told him that I didn't want to be fussed over." He said.
"Trust me Naruto. There's nothing in the whole entire world that will cause Sasuke to stop loving you. Because you are a part of his world." She told him while smiling warmly at him. "Just please don't tell him that I said anything alright? He's sort of embarrassed to admit his feelings for you himself." She said.
"Alright I won't, but can you get him in here please? I really want to talk to him." He told her.
"Hold on, I'll go check and see if he's off the phone." She began before she turned around and walked down the hallway and into their bedroom.
"Alright, thanks. I'll be sure that he's there." Sasuke said with a nod before he hung up the phone and then he turned to look over at Sakura. "Naruto has a doctor's appointment at two o'clock. So he has plenty of time to rest up before then." He told her.
"Yeah, about Naruto. Well, he wants to see you and talk to you about something." She explained.
"Really? Alright. Thanks. I'll go and see what he wants." He told her before he headed out of the bedroom and slowly walked down the hallway and entered the living room. "Sakura said that you wanted to talk to me." He said.
"Uh yeah,.. look,.. I uh,.. I just wanted to apologize for the way I was acting before. You were only trying to do all of those nice things for me because you love me." He said.
"Wow. Look who just woke up." Sasuke said.
"It's just that sometimes I feel like you treat me like I'm a little kid or something." Naruto said.
"Well then I guess it's my turn to apologize." Sasuke began. "I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. You're a ninja too after all and a pretty good one. I mean, you did manage to become the hokage. I guess that I just need to learn to stop being so overprotective and give you your space." He told him.
"Yeah,.. maybe sometimes. But not right now. I just still can't seem to get warm." Naruto said while rubbing his arms and giving a shiver. Sasuke smiled at him before he climbed up on the couch beside him and cuddled him inside his chest.
"Better?" he questioned.
"Much. But I really don't want to get you sick buddy." Naruto told him.
"Don't worry about it. You're much more important to me than my own health." He said when all of a sudden Naruto started coughing again and Sasuke patted his back before Naruto started sneezing and Sasuke grabbed a few Kleenexes for him. "Here, blow." He told him. Naruto thanked him before he blew his nose and then Sasuke felt his forehead again. "I wouldn't worry too much little brother, I think that all you've got is a cold." He told him.
"Well if it is a cold, it sure is a nasty one. Because I don't feel well at all." Naruto told him with a groan.
"Shh,.. you will feel much better if you go back to sleep. We don't have to leave until later this afternoon." Sasuke told him.
"But how can I feel better when I promised that I would help out at the mall today?" Naruto questioned him before heaving a deep and heavy sad sigh while Sasuke rested his head up against his and thought for a moment before he took a deep breath himself and answered him.
"Because we'll take your place instead." He told him.
"What!? I'm sorry you'll have to excuse me but I do believe that my cold has suddenly affected my hearing." Naruto told him.
"No it hasn't. You heard me correctly. Sakura Sasame and I will take your place at the mall and we'll find a babysitter for Hiro." He said.
"But why would you do that for me?" Naruto wondered when Sasuke suddenly looked down at him with all of the love he had for him in his heart shining through his eyes.
"Because you're my brother. And I would do anything in the world to make you happy." He began. "Besides, you were right all along. It's Christmas and everybody deserves to be happy at Christmas." He told him with a warm and affectionate smile in which Naruto returned.
"I'm proud of you Sasuke." He began with a cough into his fist. "I knew you had the true meaning of Christmas somewhere deep down in there." He said before he slowly reached out and touched the part of his chest where his heart was located and smiled at him. Sasuke smiled back at him and slowly lowered his head and kissed the back of his hand softly and gently. Then Naruto closed his eyes and cuddled deeper inside of his chest. Sasuke felt his heart starting to pound while he continued holding Naruto inside of his arms and heaved another sigh before resting his chin on top of his head.
"Good Lord what did I just agree to?" he thought to himself.
….
"What!?" Sasame exclaimed with incredibility and disbelief later that afternoon once Naruto and Sasuke had returned from the doctor's office.
"Shh,.. Naruto's in the guest room sleeping." Sasuke told her. "Anyway, come on Sasame,.. I really need your help on this." He said.
"So let me get this straight. You want me to dress up as an elf and hang around snot-nosed kids all day?" Sasame began while placing her hands upon her hips. "In a place where my friends go?" she inquired.
"You hang around Hiro all day and he's always got boogers coming out of his nose." Sasuke pointed out.
"That's different. He's my brother. I don't exactly have a choice." She told him.
"Look, I realize that this might give you a bad reputation at the academy Princess Sasame, but since it's for your uncle Naruto, don't you think that it's worth taking that risk?" he questioned her. "After all, your mother and I are dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus. And I can't really speak for her, but I can certainly say that I'm not happy about it." He told her.
"So then why are you doing it? Is it the pay?" she asked him.
"I can't believe this! Your uncle told you that you had the true meaning of Christmas inside your heart, but I'm afraid that you have already forgotten what it is. Christmas isn't about how much money or presents you get." He told her with a shake of his head. "Don't you remember the story of the first Christmas? It was in a stable. But yet Mary and Joseph never complained about it because God had given them the greatest gift of all. The gift of love in the form of a child who later on brought joy and peace to the world. That's what Christmas is really about." He told her while placing a hand on top of her shoulder. "Just something for you to think about." He said before he turned around and started walking away.
"Uh Dad wait." Sasame began before he stopped and turned to look back over at her. "You're right." She told him. "Christmas really isn't about the gifts, it's about the heart. And that's something that should be celebrated all year round." She told him as Sasuke grinned at her.
"I knew that you would understand after I explained it to you. I love you Sasame, and I'm extremely proud to call you my daughter." He told her before giving her forehead a poke with his fingers.
"I love you too." She told him.
"Tell your mother that I'm going outside to smoke a cigarette if you see her." He said before he dug into his pocket and removed his cigarette box and lighter and then started heading towards the front door.