On a Snowy Christmas Night

A/N: happy new year!! XD

i know it's late, but here is my christmas fic. i didn't have internet access over my christmas break, so i couldn't post my story. and then i started thinking that my story wasn't good enough for a christmas fic, so i set it aside and wrote a new one. except it took a little while, so now it's a christmas/new year's fic.

so, um, yeah. happy new year!! XD lol

i hope you enjoyed this sexless piece of sap. much love in the new year!

Nomme


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On a Snowy Christmas Night
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Sasuke groaned as the sounds of morning filtered into his sleep. He scrunched his nose in distaste at the birds chirping outside his window before burrowing underneath his blankets in an effort to escape the inevitable slide into wakefulness.

His eyes flew wide when he heard someone entering his room and sliding into bed with him. All his instincts were screaming at him to roll over and press a kunai to the intruder’s throat, but the lethargy of the morning that still hampered his higher thought processes would only let him move enough to pop his head from beneath the covers. A hand landed on his arm, and he could feel the chill of the skin through the many layers of blankets atop his body. The presence leaned closer, and Sasuke felt cold lips near his ear.

“Merry Christmas, Sasuke-kun,” was whispered huskily, and Sasuke rolled his eyes and let his body relax from its tensed position.

“Sakura, get off of me. Now.”

“Hmph. No fun at all.”

Sasuke rolled over to see his pink-haired friend pouting prettily at him, though her eyes sparkled with good humor. When all he did was glare at her, she rolled her own eyes and giggled. Then she hopped up from the bed and pulled his covers off, laughing out right as he gasped at the frosty air that washed over his limbs.

“Sakura! What the hell has gotten into you?”

“It’s Christmas morning, Sasuke-kun! And I bet you have a present for a certain someone, ne?”

Sasuke refused to blush, and he refused to think about how Sakura knew that. Then again, the Uchiha was notorious for not buying anything for anyone at any time of the year, so it was more than likely that he’d been caught buying that gift yesterday.

And it had taken him forever to find the perfect gift. He’d searched for months, always finding something only to cast it aside for something better a little way down the line. Finally, it had dawned on him what to get, and he’d been filled with such happiness and trepidation at the same time. This was one hell of a step for him.

“Oh, come on, Sasuke. You and Naruto have been going out for two years, and you’ve yet to buy him anything, even though he buys you things all the time, which, if you ask me, is a little sad because you’ve got all the money and he’s barely got enough for rent. And he understands that a gift is sacred to you because of your family, and that it’s also a touchy subject as well.”

Sakura sat down on the bed once again and placed a hand on his thigh. “So, of course I would know the minute my dear Sasuke-kun steps into a shop, especially that type of shop, and purchases something that is quite the bit of gossip around the village.”

Sasuke nodded, quite sure that everyone around town was talking about it, and hoping everyone had the good sense not to mention it to his dobe.

A small smile bloomed on his face as he thought about the blonde. Yes, they’d had two years of happiness so far. Two years of expressing his feelings more than he had in his entire life. Naruto just brought that out in him.

“Can I see it, Sasuke?”

Sasuke looked up to see Sakura staring at him imploringly, her lashes batting at him, and that pretty pout back on her lips. He sighed and moved to leave the bed, scrounging around in his top dresser drawer for several minutes before finally finding the small, velvet box from the jeweler’s. He took it back to the bed and opened it, letting Sakura see the object inside.

Her eyes lit up when she took in the ring. The morning sun coming in the window caught the gold and reflected it off her face. A sapphire, ruby, and amethyst lined the middle of the band, with onyx crystals set between them.

“Sasuke… It’s beautiful,” Sakura said, a bit breathless. “Ha, and here I was thinking you’d flash the Uchiha symbol in gold at me. This is so gorgeous; I’m almost jealous of Naruto.” She smiled at him, and then focused back on the ring. He watched as her eyebrows furrowed, knowing she’d found the inscription.

“Two hearts united, one life shared.” She looked up at him quickly, confusion and wary hope in her eyes. “Yes, I’m going to ask him to marry me. Your Naruto-kun will be loved for the rest of his life.”

“Sasuke!” Sakura threw her arms up in joy, and then wrapped them around Sasuke’s neck, squeezing the life out of him as she cried. “This is the happiest day of my life!”

He laughed with her, hugging her back gently. Something caught the corner of his eye, and he turned his head to the window. But all that was there was a twittering bird. Feeling ill at ease, Sasuke nonetheless shrugged it off. Whatever it was, it wasn’t as important as what he had planned today. Today was the first day of the rest of his life, and with the grace of the gods, Naruto would be beside him through every day left to them.

~*~

It… wasn’t true. But… he’d seen it with his own eyes. Sasuke had given a ring to Sakura, and Sakura had been so happy, hugging him. And Sasuke had hugged back. The villagers hadn’t been lying to him this time. This time, the demon boy had indeed been cast aside as unlovable.

Naruto trudged brokenhearted down a back street, trying to avoid the mocking voices of those villagers that still hated him, even after everything he’d done to prove his worth and loyalty.

Why did Sasuke do this to him? They’d been so happy for two years! They still argued and fought; they were still rivals. But they were lovers, too! What had he done that made Sasuke turn to Sakura?

Naruto stifled a sob that wanted to erupt from his throat. Sasuke must have finally realized what a monster he was, or that he might as well get together with a girl to revive his clan.

Really. What had Naruto been thinking to ever assume that Sasuke loved him and would stay with him forever? Just another useless and impossible dream for the dobe of Konoha.

The tears that slipped down Naruto’s cheeks were cold, and he moved his hand up to wipe them away. He thought about how happy both Sasuke and Sakura had seemed, and though he wanted to be angry, he found he couldn’t be. Sakura had always loved Sasuke, and Sasuke needed a nice, normal girl to carry on his clan. They were good for each other. And after a little while, he could be happy for them. He just hoped the wedding wasn’t for a while, because he didn’t want to cry in front of the whole village.

~*~

Sasuke was just a little confused when he walked to Ichiraku and didn’t find Naruto waiting for him. They were supposed to meet for lunch and then spend the day together. And later that night, Sasuke would give him the ring and ask for his hand. But Naruto was nowhere in sight.

“Are you looking for Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san?” Sasuke turned to look at Ayame. He nodded his head, wondering where his dobe had gone. “Well, he never showed up today. Sakura-chan came by this morning, asking us to keep an eye out for both of you, but you’re the first to show up.”

Sasuke thanked her and left, worried that Naruto had missed their date. Where could he be? Then Sasuke realized it was Christmas day, and while he didn’t have anyone to celebrate with besides Naruto, the blonde did. Huffing in relief, Sasuke turned about and headed for Iruka’s place.

Several people smiled at him as he made his way down the street, congratulating him on something he’d yet to do. Some of those people knew he was with Naruto, but there were probably others that believed he’d bought the ring for some girl, maybe Sakura. Well, they could keep dreaming; the only one for him was Naruto.

The steps leading up to Iruka’s apartment were covered in undisturbed snow, and Sasuke thought with some worry that it probably meant Naruto wasn’t here, either.

Gods! Why had he ever thought not spending Christmas Eve with Naruto would be a good thing? Well, for one, he thought to himself, Naruto usually spent Christmas Eve either at Iruka’s or on a mission. And two, if he’d held his dobe throughout the night and had woken up to those beautiful blue eyes, he’d have popped the question right then and there, and there was a certain way he wanted this to play out.

Sasuke was hoping for a delicious dinner by candlelight that did not consist of ramen or onigiri, and then a romantic walk through one of the parks Tsunade had built, the two of them huddled together for warmth while snowflakes and moonbeams danced around them. And then after a soft and loving kiss, when Naruto’s blue eyes were glittering in love and his cheeks were bright and rosy with more than just the cold, Sasuke would go down on one knee and profess his undying devotion, love, and utter need for the man before him.

Realizing he’d been staring at Iruka’s welcome mat for some time in a dreamy stupor, Sasuke shook his head to focus, refusing to let the slight blush on his cheeks travel any farther. When he looked up, however, the struggle was over as both Iruka and Kakashi stared at him from the doorway. He could feel the heat radiating from his ears, cheeks, and neck and ducked his head back down.

“Good afternoon, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei. Have you seen Naruto?” He looked up to see them both smiling at him.

“No, we haven’t, Sasuke-kun. But would you like to come in for a moment and warm up? We have hot cocoa and tea on the stove.”

Sasuke really wanted to decline the offer, but there was something about the way both men were smiling. Iruka looked sort of miffed, but also genuinely happy, while Kakashi looked like the cat that ate the canary. And Iruka was kind of going to be his father-in-law very soon, so he figured he shouldn’t offend him this early in the game.

“Thank you very much, Iruka-sensei.” Sasuke bowed slightly and held back a sigh as Iruka motioned him in. He slipped his boots off at the door and walked to the low couch against the far wall. There were already two cups of steaming liquid on the coffee table before him, and Sasuke hoped he hadn’t interrupted something important. And for that matter, Sasuke thought silently, what the hell was Kakashi even doing at Iruka’s?

“Sorry for the wait, Sasuke-kun. I hope tea is okay, since someone has finished off the last of the cocoa,” Iruka said, eyeing Kakashi icily. The masked man merely smiled and chuckled, sitting on the floor on the opposite side of coffee table, his elbows propped up on the tabletop, his chin in his palms, and his eyes fixed on Sasuke and Iruka, as if waiting for something interesting to happen.

“Tea is fine,” Sasuke answered a bit distractedly, his eyebrow quirked in question at Kakashi’s behavior. He took a sip of his tea, hoping to not scald his mouth, when Iruka chose that moment to speak.

“I hear you’ve bought a ring.” His voice was so grave that Sasuke choked on his drink in surprise. He put the cup down and thumped his chest, finally looking at Iruka when he could breathe correctly. “And for whom, may I ask, is this ring?” Iruka was staring at him rather coldly, and Sasuke wondered what kind of answer the man was expecting to hear from him.

Taking a deep breath to relax his nerves, Sasuke looked Iruka in the eye and smiled slightly. “The ring is for Naruto.”

Iruka seemed to melt before his eyes, and Kakashi seemed a tad disappointed, though he was still riveted to the scene. His former academy sensei launched himself forward and brought the Uchiha into a crushing hug, crying out in joy.

“That is such wonderful news, Sasuke-kun! When I first heard, I was ecstatic because I thought it was for Naruto, but then I overheard some busybodies saying it must be for Sakura, and I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t help but think that maybe it was true, you know, because she can revive your clan and whatnot. I just had to make sure!”

Iruka sounded on the verge of tears, and Sasuke patted him awkwardly on the back in reassurance, as Kakashi chuckled from across the table.

“You’ll have to forgive him, Sasuke, but you know how much Naruto means to him. Now, let me get a look at this ring that has everyone in the village talking.”

Iruka let him go quickly, bouncing in excitement to see the ring as well. Sasuke nodded and pulled it from his coat pocket, opening the little velvet box and turning it to face the other two. Iruka’s eyes grew wide, and Kakashi whistled behind his mask. Sasuke relinquished the ring when Iruka reached for it and watched as the two sensei appraised it.

Iruka turned it this way and that, taking in the detailed designs on the sides of the band. He gasped when he realized what it was, and Sasuke was impressed he’d seen such fine craftsmanship; Sakura hadn’t even seen it, and she’d stared at the ring for a solid hour.

Offsetting the five gems were the representations of two of them. To one side was a small Uchiha fan carved delicately into the gold, with lines so fine and intricate, they were almost invisible. On the other side was Naruto’s swirl that adorned every jacket the man had ever owned, similarly carved. And stretched out between the two, wrapping around the rest of the ring, was a nine-tailed fox lying in repose. Sasuke had worried that it’d been too much, but when Sakura hadn’t noticed it, he’d felt it was okay. Now he wasn’t so sure; Iruka’s eyes were getting a little too wide.

“Iruka-sensei…” Sasuke trailed off, wanting to fidget madly when Iruka just continued to stare at the ring.

“I think it’s perfect, Sasuke. Naruto will love it.” Iruka smiled at him, and Sasuke wasn’t sure what to do. When Naruto smiled at him, he had the urge to smile back and hug the blonde man. When others smiled at him, he either wanted to growl or punch them, because their smiles always hid something. But when Iruka smiled at him, he had no idea how to take it because it looked like a fatherly smile; but with a father like Fugaku, fatherly smiles were reserved for Itachi.

Sasuke shook those dire thoughts from his head, intent on being happy on his engagement day. He refocused on Iruka with the ring just as Kakashi patted him on the back.

“You did good, kid. Can I assume, based on that inscription, that this ring is more than a Christmas present?”

“There’s an inscription?” Iruka went back to examining the ring as Sasuke thought about his proposal. He directed his soft smile at Kakashi and nodded his head.

“Yeah, it is. Much more.”

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, his visible eye crinkling in happiness. “Then I’d be off. Don’t want to make the bride-to-be think he isn’t special today.” The jounin looked over at Iruka. “Oi, give him the ring back.” When Iruka didn’t seem to hear, Kakashi moved behind him and tickled his waist. Iruka cried out, surprised, and jumped, the ring flying from his fingers.

Sasuke’s eyes widened, and he desperately scrambled to keep the ring from hitting the ground. It landed nicely in his palm, and he breathed a sigh of relief that the symbol of his future didn’t get off to such an inauspicious start.

“I’m sorry, Sasuke,” Iruka said, red-faced from laughter, embarrassment, and irritation.

“It’s okay,” Sasuke reassured. “I’ll head out now to find Naruto. Thank you for the tea.” Sasuke bowed and headed for the door. He slipped on his boots, and turned to say goodbye. Instead, Iruka enveloped him in a hug.

“You’ll be happy.” Iruka let him go and opened the door for him. “And Sasuke-kun, welcome to the family.”

Sasuke found himself blushing brightly at the words, and he ducked his head down as he mumbled another thank you. He’d do this properly later. Right now, he was just a bit too embarrassed.

~*~

The last rays of the sun disappearing had been beautiful, but Naruto was too depressed to care for long. But the longer he sat atop the Fourth’s head, the colder he seemed to become as the temperature at the high altitude dropped severely with the night.

He watched as the stars came out one by one, glowing brightly in the vast, dark sky. They were very impressive, making him forget his troubles for just a minute. And the snow that suddenly appeared out of the sky pushed them back even more.

It was the coldest winter Konoha had ever seen, and Naruto was finally in a position to fully appreciate it. Most of the villagers finally accepted him, and he had the ones he loved safe and home with him. And he had Sasuke…

Well, he’d had Sasuke. Now Sakura had Sasuke, and Naruto’s disappointment and hurt made a painful comeback. It was Christmas, and he was anything but merry.

He didn’t know how much time passed as he stared blankly out over the village, but he knew instantly when he was no longer alone atop the monument. He wasn’t up to facing Sasuke just yet, but the teme worked on no one’s time schedule but his own, it seemed.

Naruto stood and turned, forcing a large grin to his lips. “Teme, Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, dobe.” Sasuke sounded subdued, quite unlike him. No, it was just like him. No, wait, it was unlike him, because he was usually emotionless, not merely subdued. Yeah, that was it.

Naruto mentally rolled his eyes at himself, wondering why he was even thinking about it so forcefully. He looked at the Uchiha illuminated in the moonlight, snow swirling around his lithe frame. He was breathtaking. It almost hurt to look at him, and Naruto felt a pang in his chest when he thought that this man was no longer his.

There was something in Sasuke’s eyes that made Naruto’s breath catch. The other man moved forward a step, his hand coming up to his waist before it stopped and dropped back to his side. For a second, Naruto thought Sasuke had been about to kiss him, and he found himself both relieved and saddened that he hadn’t.

The silence stretched between them, and Sasuke looked more uncomfortable with each passing minute. Then he sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair. “Is something wrong, Naruto?”

“You tell me, Sasuke.” It had come out before he could reconsider it, and it only fed his misery. “Tell me why you waited until today to make me feel so unwanted.”

Sasuke blinked at him. “What are you talking about?”

“When did you stop loving me, Sasuke?” Naruto was on a roll, wanting to rip into the Uchiha and make him feel every ounce of hurt that he had forced on Naruto. “What did I ever do to push you away? I know I can’t revive your clan, but I had thought that you didn’t care about that when you confessed to me! So what did I do? Please tell me, Sasuke, before it eats me alive.”

Sasuke still stared owlishly at him, his eyes sort of blank, as if he were trying to figure something out. Like how Naruto might have found out his secret. He shook his head. “Dobe, what in hell are you talking about? Have you gone insane or something?”

Naruto closed his eyes and grit his teeth in frustration. “I’m not insane, Sasuke, nor am I stupid. I know you’re together with Sakura. I saw the ring.”

He didn’t hear anything for a moment, eyes still closed, refusing to open them and see the look of smug satisfaction on Sasuke’s face that he wouldn’t have to tell Naruto the news. Then he heard some shuffling around, going very still when he felt Sasuke close to him.

“You mean this ring, dobe?”

Naruto opened his eyes in surprise. Sasuke really wanted to hurt him, didn’t he? Why else would he show him Sakura’s ring?

Though, he had to admit, it was a beautiful ring. The sapphire, ruby, and amethyst were gorgeous, almost glowing in the moonlight. And the onyx crystals reminded Naruto achingly of Sasuke’s eyes, the way they could shine and twinkle when they were alone together. On the inside of the golden band was an inscription, and Naruto tried and failed to swallow when he read it.

“Two hearts united, one life shared, huh? That’s…” Naruto trailed off, afraid he’d either yell or cry if he continued.

“The ring is for you, Naruto.”

The blonde’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. Sasuke hadn’t just said what he thought he’d said, did he?

“What?” he croaked out.

“I love you, Uzumaki Naruto. Will you marry me?”

~*~

This wasn’t exactly how Sasuke had imagined doing this. He’d never in his life have guessed Naruto would think he didn’t love him anymore, or that he would even consider marrying Sakura. But none of that mattered… right now. They’d come back to it later. What mattered was his question, and even more important, Naruto’s answer.

The person in question just stood quietly staring at the ring. His fingers were starting to get a bit cold as the snow came down endlessly, surrounding them and making an almost impenetrable bubble for them.

“Are you serious?” Naruto’s whispered question was so quiet, Sasuke barely heard it, even in the silence.

“I’ve never been more serious in my life, Naruto. I love you. You are my entire world now, the only family I could ever need in our circumstances. Hn, I’ve even gotten Iruka-sensei’s blessing and been welcomed into the family. Sakura and Kakashi couldn’t be happier for us, and the only thing I need to make my life perfect is your answer right now. What’ll it be, dobe?”

Naruto shifted his eyes from the ring to Sasuke’s. They stared at each other in silence, Naruto’s breathing fast and anxious, and Sasuke’s breathing nonexistent as he waited for Naruto to speak.

Instead of speaking, Naruto placed his hand over the ring in Sasuke’s palm and leaned in to kiss him. Sasuke sighed in relief and closed his eyes, kissing Naruto back passionately. But before he could move closer and mold their bodies together, Naruto pulled back and took the ring from him.

“What do they mean, Sasuke?”

Sasuke was surprised Naruto knew those gems were specifically chosen. “The sapphire, ruby, and amethyst represent the three sides of Naruto. Your blue eyes, filled with love and laughter; your red eyes filled with strength and determination; and your purple eyes filled with passion and lust. All of them Naruto, and all loved by me.”

“So these crystals are your eyes,” Naruto murmured softly, his eyes clouding with tears. Sasuke hoped they were tears of joy. The Uchiha swallowed and reached for the ring, vowing to show Naruto the intricate carvings later. For now, he took Naruto’s left hand in his and hesitantly placed the ring in its place on the blonde’s finger, smiling brightly when Naruto allowed him to do so.

“Gods, Sasuke…” Tears slid down Naruto’s scarred cheeks, and Sasuke moved his hands up to his face, using his thumbs to brush the tears away. “I love you, Sasuke. And yes, I’ll marry you. I-” He cut himself off and shook his head, just moving forward and snuggling into Sasuke’s chest.

Sasuke put his arms around his fiancé and hugged him tightly. “I love you, too, Naruto. Merry Christmas.”


~owari~


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thanks for reading! i think Memories of the Future is the next to be updated. thank you so much for your patience! *bows*

happy 2008!