Naruto gazed at the framed picture of sunrise he gifted Sensei and grinned brightly.
Sensei's house began to look… homey. Slowly and surely, it began to look like he lived there, too.
The man's hoodie, which he always lent him, was folded on the sofa next to Naruto's favorite blanket. The dogs all knew him – and he, too, finally remembered their names – and always ran to the door to greet him. His favorite food and drinks were in the fridge, and Sensei's plant sprouted new leaves. Nearly every wall was decorated with his drawings.
But that wasn't the only reason why he was happy. He finally managed to solve the proof he started – and Sensei continued – on the bus back from the camp.
He couldn't wait to show him. He –
Just had to wait for Sasuke and Sakura to leave. He wanted to share it with him in private.
Finals, however, were approaching rapidly, as well as the seniors' prom – although Sensei had yet to commit to chaperoning. Both facts put Sakura on edge, and the two teens (and their sensei) learned to avoid her wrath whenever possible.
Currently, Sakura was busy shattering yet another pencil after failing to come up with a good prom theme. "Cha!" she yelled. "This is so frustrating!"
The dogs – and Sensei – left for the balcony when the first pencil broke.
Coward, Naruto thought and tried to be supportive. "How about a tree? Like, we're the leaves and now we're leaving and…."
"A tree." Sakura stared at him, a vein popping in her fist. "A tree."
"Um," Naruto leaned back. "A flower? They've got leaves too."
Sakura threw her notepad at him. "Leaves?! It needs to be romantic! Why do boys suck?!"
Sasuke sat in the kitchen – pretending not to hide – and drank his coffee. "Why not ask Ino? She's supposed to help."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "She wants to do something under the sea like her dad did when he went to high school. It's lame." She huffed. "Besides, she's all busy with Valentine's Day. Which is tomorrow," she added, her voice snappy.
Sasuke said nothing, but Naruto thought he heard him choking on his drink.
"Why would she be busy?" asked Naruto, frowning. "Ino said that her thing is to never hand out chocolate, only get chocolate."
"Maybe she changed her mind," grumbled Sakura. She looked up at him and suddenly grinned mischievously. "What about you, Naruto? Are you making something?"
Naruto scoffed, ears red. "Course not! Valentine's Day is for girls."
Sakura hmmed. "Well, I bet it's different in your case, though." She poked his chest. "Since there are no girls involved. Hmm?"
Oh. Oh, fuck. Naruto's face burned red. "Oh. So… so. What do… what do girls do?" he whispered.
Sakura shook her head with a small smile. "Homemade chocolate, if it's someone you really care about." She leaned closer and whispered, "Dark chocolate, since he doesn't like sweet things."
Naruto's heart worked overtime. "Right."
Sakura poked him again. "You should run and buy ingredients before they run out. If you hurry, I can help you."
"Right," Naruto mumbled, got up, and ran out of the apartment. He could hear Sakura's laugh accompanying him to the door but did not stop to turn or think twice.
Damn it.
Naruto arrived, quite out of breath, at the nearest store – only to be told they ran out of chocolate. So he thanked them and ran to the next one. And the next one.
A part of him, throbbing with pain, feared every store in the village ran out of chocolate.
Eventually, he made it to the last shop in the village – the one in the wealthiest, most stuck-up neighborhood in town, and nearly collapsed against the counter. "Do you," he panted, his lungs burning, "have chocolate."
"N-Naruto?"
Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up, meeting Hinata's soft eyes. "Oh, Hinata!" He grinned at her. "Didn't know you worked here!"
The shy girl blushed red. She nodded.
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "So. Um… do you have any dark chocolate left?" He blushed as well. "I kinda forgot about… the whole deal tomorrow."
Hinata turned even redder. "A-are you going to give someone… someone…."
"Yeah," Naruto admitted. His breath slowed down, so he stood up straighter. He grinned and looked away. "I wanna get something for Mr. Hatake. Cause he… well, saved my life, n' stuff."
Hinata nodded. She led him, still red, to the almost empty shelf of chocolate and ingredients. There was not even a tiny packet of melted dark chocolate left in sight.
"No!" cried Naruto, pulling his hair in agitation. "This is the last store!" He hung his head. Damn it. Damn everything. He's gonna miss his chance, and Sensei might think he doesn't like him and –
"You can use regular dark chocolate," Hinata said softly. "I-if you melt it, you can create new shapes and… and it will look h-homemade."
Naruto's mind reset. "Wh-what? How do I do that?" He clasped Hinata's hand. "Show me how to do that!"
The girl turned even redder than before. "Um. Um. What are you… planning to do, N-Naruto?" she mumbled.
Naruto blinked. He did not plan that far ahead. Dog-shaped chocolate? Maybe bones? Maybe…
His eyes suddenly focused on a bright orange packet of clementine. He was quite certain that Sensei always kept a few in the fridge. It was the only fruit he had ever seen him eat. So maybe…
"Can I… Do you think I can coat that –" He pointed to the fruit, " – in dark chocolate? Would that work?"
Hinata nodded with a soft smile. "Yes. I can show you." And again, turned bright red.
So Naruto bought a packet of dark chocolate, clementine, and a small box to contain the treat. Hinata showed him various expensive-looking boxes and ribbons, but Naruto flinched and chose something simpler and… less pink.
The box was white and plain, but he could definitely draw something on it and make it better. He hoped, at least.
Hinata led him to the backroom, turned on the electric stove, and put on a pot filled with water. Then, she placed a different pot on top and instructed him to break the chocolate into it.
"Wow, Hinata! You've got lots of stuff here, even though it's a store!"
The girl nodded, still pink, and sent him to peel the clementine. "Well, I wanted to make my chocolate here… without interruptions…" she mumbled. "I brought some things from home."
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Um. Am I interrupting?"
"N-no!" The shy girl cried. She looked away and tested the chocolate. "Now, just dip and… and wait for it to dry."
And Naruto did. He peeled the slices until they were perfect – no seeds or that thin, transparent skin – dipped them in the melted chocolate, then left them to cool in the small space Hinata organized for him. It was fun, and soon he had enough to fill the whole box.
When he was done, he cleaned the small kitchen and helped Hinata close the store.
"Thanks, Hinata!" He checked the clock on the wall. "It's really late. I can walk you home, if you like."
Hinata blushed again. "Oh, Um, that's not…."
The moment she locked the door, an expensive-looking car parked near them. A man got out and glared at Naruto. "Are you ready to come home, Miss Hinata?"
Hinata nodded. "Do you… do you want a ride home, N-Naruto?"
A part of him wanted to say yes in defiance of the man, whose glare intensified, but all he managed was a grin. "No, it's fine. See you tomorrow, Hinata!" He waved, keeping his cheer, and started to walk.
It wasn't that far, right?
He continued to walk, holding the box – hidden inside a plain, paper bag – close to his chest. He really missed his bike.
Maybe he should save up, get a new one. It had started to get warm, after all, and he couldn't stay dependent on Sensei for rides –
A car slowed down, matching his pace.
Naruto looked up, tense and ready to run – and blinked.
Sensei lowered the window. "Need a ride, Uzumaki?"
Naruto could not help the grin that took over his face. He walked to the car and entered the passenger's side, still grinning. "You're a lifesaver, Sensei!" he declared, then blushed when he remembered the man really did save his life. "How'd you know where I was?"
Sensei waited for him to put on the seatbelt before he continued to drive. "I didn't. I was on my way back from giving Haruno and Uchiha a ride home when I saw you." His eye darted in his direction, glancing at the paper bag. "Haruno said you ran out of the house because you forgot something."
Naruto's ears heated at the unasked question. "Y-yeah. A group project. With Hinata," he added. "I helped her with…" quick, think of something! "Cooking stuff."
Sensei nodded. "There is some leftover pizza, if you want," he said suddenly.
Naruto flinched. "No, I'm – " His stomach grumbled. His ears flushed in embarrassment, which only deepened when Sensei chuckled. "Shut up," he protested.
"I did not say anything," the man objected. Still, he tousled his hair. "Haruno saved you dessert."
Naruto perked up. "The… the baked, things?"
"If you mean the mini pancakes, then yes."
Naruto leaned back in his seat. "Awesome."
Sensei chuckled again.
Naruto turned his head just slightly and gazed at the man's profile, memorizing it for what must have been the ten-thousandth time. Sensei was beautiful, he realized, no matter the lighting.
And he was all his, even if just for a little while.
Naruto stared, angry and frustrated, at the obscenely pink pile that decorated Sensei's desk.
He was embarrassed when three students offered Sensei their chocolate during his office hours, ruining his plan, each with her soft eyes and red lips and a perfumed, lavish box that looked nothing like the plain one he got.
He was annoyed when Iruka interrupted their session to offer his own box, black and fancy and all in French.
He was furious when he stomped to the classroom during lunch break to find out that there was a line of girls waiting to see Sensei.
Damn it.
Someone pulled his ear. "Come on, we need to take our seats, y'know," muttered Sakura, stifling a giggle. "Looks like Sensei's this year's Mr. Popular. He stole your title, Sasuke."
Sasuke, who already refused a few offerings, hmphed. "It's a pain, honestly. And it's his turn to suffer."
Sakura grinned. "I'm going to make his day worse!" She skipped toward his desk and gave him a brown box. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sensei!" Her smile widened when the man visibly winced. "Don't worry. It's not chocolate!"
Sensei accepted the box. "Thank you, Haruno. I appreciate it."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Open it!"
The man did as he was told, looking slightly uncomfortable. His expression changed into a small smile when the box revealed a small container of ground coffee.
"Now you can appreciate it," Sakura said sweetly and hopped next to Naruto, who still lingered in the doorway and glared. "See? It's not that hard," she whispered.
Sensei looked up and smiled at him – and Naruto's glare turned ferocious.
Sensei's smile disappeared. He frowned.
Damn it. Naruto raked his fingers through his hair, trying to compose himself –
"N-Naruto…." A soft voice shattered through his stormy thoughts. "Do you… do you have a moment?"
Naruto turned and smiled at the blushing Hinata. "Of course! I still owe you for yesterday. What's up?"
The girl led him down the hallway, blushing still, and handed him a bright orange box.
"I… I hope you like it, N-Naruto," she managed.
Naruto smiled. "Yeah! It's awesome! Thanks, Hinata!" and gave the girl a quick hug. The bell rang, so he pulled her back to class.
He smirked at his friends when he walked to his seat only to be pulled out of the class – again – by none other than Ino.
He was called out for various reasons five more times by girls he did not know, and his confusion grew from moment to moment.
Still, every time a girl interrupted Sensei's lesson just to give him chocolates felt like a triumph.
"You'll have to get them back, y'know," grumbled Sasuke.
"You're just jealous," Naruto stuck out his tongue.
"Uzumaki," muttered Sensei. "Next proof, please."
Naruto's grin only widened.
Kakashi observed the teenagers munching chocolate and complaining as they sat around his table and stifled a groan.
He hated Valentine's Day with passion.
It was a day burdened with awkward encounters, spurred by the twisted notion that chocolate and makeshift romantic notes can inspire love. Usually, it resulted in him being followed by an army of girls with starry eyes and blushing cheeks who had never exchanged more than a single word with him and yet still hung their romantic fantasies on his existence.
And all he got out of this cumbersome exchange was chocolate – which he did not like – and debt – which society determined he had to pay.
Great.
A part of him hoped that since he was a teacher, he would be spared the embarrassment of homemade chocolate at the very least. However, he found himself hounded by boxes upon boxes, each with its own nauseating combination of chemical scent and pinkish design.
He thanked them all properly, promising he appreciated the effort, and tried not to gag when the combined scent of different perfumes and what must have been rather expensive chocolate hit his nostrils.
Naruto, on the other hand, seemed oddly delighted by the exhaustive attention. The teen handled his gifts with care and seemed to smile nonstop ever since he got his first box. His sour mood disappeared the moment Hinata called him to the side.
Well, perhaps I was too worried about his attachment, Kakashi thought, if he greets any kindness this eagerly.
Kakashi flinched at his thoughts and schooled his features. This was ridiculous. Just because he found the entire process tiresome and cynical did not mean so should others.
The teenagers continued to bicker and refused to leave. Naruto's good mood was as unbreakable. Kakashi swallowed a painkiller and hoped his headache would go away.
Eventually, Sasuke and Sakura left – with Sakura blushing profusely – and Kakashi opened his book and waited for the third edge of the triangle to disappear.
Naruto, as if on cue, got up and… and walked toward him instead. "Still reading that book?" he asked, grinning.
Kakashi hmmed. "Well, I might have finished were I not busy babysitting three teenagers almost daily," he bit.
Naruto's grin faltered. "What's gotten into you?" he asked. His voice was too quiet for Kakashi's liking.
Kakashi cursed the world, himself, and Naruto's stupidly bright blue eyes. "Nothing," he muttered, then waved his hand at the pink pile. "Just a headache."
Naruto blinked, taken aback by his dismissive tone. "The… the girls made it for you 'specially, y'know. They worked hard."
Kakashi ignored the pained hesitance that darkened the blue. "Too hard. They could have done without the perfume." He turned a page as if he were still reading.
Naruto's voice sounded oddly light. "That's why you're grumpy! You know, you can put them on the balcony, and the smell – "
"It's not just the smell," he interrupted, perhaps too curtly, because he could feel Naruto flinching in response. Fuck. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki. I'm not at my best."
The teen nodded. "Well, I'll see you later then," he managed. "When I… take the dogs."
"No need."
Naruto nodded again. Kakashi could feel his eyes seeking him but refused to look up. Eventually, the teen looked down. He walked to his bag, tore some pieces of paper – as he usually did to his notes – packed the rest of his things, and paused by the door. "Um. Bye, Sensei." And left.
His voice had a strange, hurried quality to it.
Kakashi closed his book and groaned. Fuck, he was an idiot. He locked the door and raked his fingers through his hair. Fuck.
He glared at the pink pile. The scent was responsible for part of his irritation. He started to pack the gifts, still unsure what to do with them, when his fingers grabbed a plain white box that did not seem to belong.
For one thing, it didn't smell of chemicals. In fact…
Kakashi raised the box to his nose and sniffed. Dark chocolate; clementine; summer sun.
Naruto.
The box still had some duct tape and torn pieces of paper stuck to it. So was this – that was what Naruto tore. Some sort of decoration he made, perhaps? The paper still glued to the side seemed to have been colored with a pencil.
Kakashi sat on the sofa and opened the box, breathing in when he saw what it contained. Slices of clementine, perfectly peeled and dipped in dark chocolate. His hand lifted a piece and brought it to his lips. It was, he had to admit, a surprisingly good combination. The dark chocolate enveloped the clementine's bright, zesty juiciness, creating a flavor both smooth and unexpected.
He grabbed the lid as he considered whether to eat another slice or hide the rest in his fridge when his fingers encountered an odd texture. A piece of paper glued inside the box.
Frowning, he detached the paper and opened it. He blinked, scanning the written symbols, and a smile broke on his face. Naruto did it. He solved his proof. He started – and finished something entirely on his own.
Well, his smile widened. I did contribute two lines.
Kakashi opened his laptop and typed in the proof and then a short recommendation. If he does not win – well, he will never know. And if he does… Kakashi submitted the application and snuck another slice into his mouth.
Only Naruto could give him a gift that was both sweet and bitter.
Naruto folded his hands across the desk, buried his face in the nook they created, and regretted his life choices.
He forgot about the proof he hid in the box.
At first, he thought he was so clever. He tore the drawings he glued to the box – which would identify it as his – and then casually added his gift to the pile. He hoped Sensei would not notice the addition was his and yet, would still be pleased by it.
He didn't spray anything on it, for one thing.
In his mind, he imagined he'd show up the next day, and Sensei would say something about how Valentine's Day was not as bad as he thought because at least one person gave him something that wasn't that terrible. And they might have talked a bit, and maybe, just maybe, Naruto would have revealed it was him…
Or maybe not. Secrets could be fun too.
Except that he left a pretty major clue inside the box. And forgot about it.
So now he was stuck. If he showed Sensei his proof, the man would know for sure it was him who gave him the chocolates. But of course, there's always a chance he might have thrown everything away and did not find the proof at all, in which case, he could show him.
But if he didn't…
When Sensei finally entered the class, carrying three large trays, Naruto stared, dumbfounded, until Sakura cried in delight. "Sensei! You made us something for White Day?"
Oh. Right. He did just give Ino a chocolate bouquet and asked Hinata out to the prom. He forgot. And yet, though he had to spend quite a lot, he did not have to carry three trays full of chocolate cupcakes to repay his gift-givers.
Naruto grabbed his bag and hid behind it, annoyed yet again.
"I did," Sensei confirmed, his voice light – so he was probably smiling, which only irked Naruto more – and added, "Can you help me distribute?"
Sakura rushed to help, and Naruto busied himself with his notebook – pretending not to pay attention –
"Eh?" cried Ino. "Those are just cupcakes! You're supposed to give an item twice the value, Sensei!"
"In that case, maybe you should give the cupcake to Haruno, since you did not get me anything, Yamanaka."
Ino scoffed and some of the students chuckled and Naruto broke his pencil. Damn it.
Sakura stopped next to him and leaned closer. "Sensei told me to give this one to you." She giggled and bounced back to her seat.
Naruto looked up, just for a moment, and dragged the cupcake to his hiding spot. He glanced at Sakura, but her cupcake looked the same as his, as was Sasuke's, who did not gift Sensei anything.
Naruto glared at the dessert.
Sensei gave them an exercise – as preparation for the finals – which Naruto did not even bother to solve. He poked the cupcake, annoyed by its very existence. Each of his jabs was more forceful than the former, pushing and pushing until the cupcake gave up and fell to the side, defeated by his efforts.
Naruto's eyes narrowed just as his heart started to beat oddly.
There was something glued to the bottom of the wrapping. A small piece of paper, hidden from view – Naruto grabbed the cupcake and twisted the paper free while trying to repress the excitement of his digits. He bit his lower lip, solely focused on the task at hand, and finally managed to free the paper. He unfolded it, heart racing yet again and his fingers trembling – and blinked, uncertain if to be curious or annoyed, when the paper's secret turned out to be an incomplete proof of a geometric identity.
Naruto scowled, grabbed his pencil, and solved it. It was pretty simple, and the result – uninspiring. Tan q. Does it even mean anything? He kept reviewing the solution as he scanned the proof, trying to find a mistake.
A crushed piece of paper hit his head. "Oi," grumbled Sasuke, irritated as usual. "What the hell are you saying 'thank you' for? It's annoying."
Naruto stared at him, at the proof, and then glanced up –
Sensei leaned his head on his palm, fingers framing his cheek as he read the book he held in his other hand. His eye darted in his direction – and the man smiled at him. A tight-lipped, lopsided smile.
Naruto could feel his face burning. He ducked his head, hiding behind his bag, and pretended he did not hear Sasuke's scoff.
Cheeks blazing red, he ate his cupcake slowly. He tried to savor the taste, but all his mind managed to do was repeat the words he knows he knows he knows like an excited dog chasing his own tail.
His body eased into a heightened, excited sort of calm when –
Did he like it, though?
And, just like that, he unnerved his mind into chaos.
Notes:
A belated Valentine's Day special! Just a little bit of normalcy before, well… y'know.
And yeah, Kakashi hates Valentine's Day. It's not like he's jealous or anything. Or had any expectations. Nope.
Also, Ino doesn't know Naruto's gay yet. She's Sakura's best friend, but I figured Sakura wouldn't out Naruto, especially after she saw his reaction to being called gay. But don't worry, she'll move on soon enough (let's just say there's a cute and artistic exchange student she had yet to meet)
And uh something I forgot to mention last time – Kakashi totally spiked Naruto's pho with his blood. He wanted to cover all the bases.
So, next chapter – prom! And, eh, apologies in advance for the two chapters to come
Anyways, that's it! What did you guys think? Love y'all and I'll see ya next Friday!
