‘Sixty-eight… Sixty-nine…seventy…’ A smile tugged on his lips as he continued to count the small white stars which were falling from the sky. He watched how each snowflake was taken by the wind and how it danced in its rhythm while going towards the ground. Winter in Konoha was always this magical and beautiful.
Magical… but damn freezing too.
Naruto snuggled at his scarf as a cold wind blew hard right in his face, making all his senses tingle with the feeling of coldness. His hands pulled the orange fur cap over his ears better so the wind wouldn’t get through as he continued to walk on the smooth surface of the 20 cm thick white cloak which already covered the ground.
Winter was really merciless that year as it began to snow only for two days and it already got this thick.
Finally the hard blow ceased and with that the air came back to normal. Naruto straightened and raised the tips of the cap from his eyes which were blocking his view. Widening his eyes, he forgot about the cold weather and sprinted towards the only black thing which caught his attention in that full white image before him.
He stopped right next to the man which was standing middle way on the bridge and tried to catch his breath after running in the snow. Slowly recovering, he grinned when he met the annoyed gaze of his friend.
“Tch. You’re late.” Sasuke said and shook his head in order to get rid of the snowflakes which formed a small pile in his dark hair. “And you made me wait on this kind of weather.” He ended with an icy glare.
Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.
“Sorry, I was enjoying the snow.” He smiled.
A puff of mist rose up towards the sky as a deep sigh escaped Sasuke’s lips and without a notice, he turned halfway and started to walk towards the other part of the bridge in order to cross the frozen river. The blond started to walk too and soon they reached together to the other side.
“Oh…I forgot to ask you…” Naruto suddenly said breaking the silence. “How’s your arm?” he asked worried and his eyes fell on the bandaged right hand which could be seen through the half-way open jacket of the raven.
“Fine.” The raven answered gritting his teeth. “Two more weeks till I take the bandage down.” He continued in a tone which showed his annoyance.
Naruto sighed and slowed down too. He felt somewhat guilty as the broken arm was his own duty. He tried to stop the raven from making the same huge mistake again and fought in that attempt. It ended with both of them in hospital, Sasuke more injured than him.
He got cured and all what was left bandaged was the hand but everytime he saw it, it made Naruto feel uncomfortable but happy too that at least the raven was still in the village.
At first it was only arguing and fighting around but before they both knew it, their connection strengthened even more and now they were closer than ever.
But that thought didn’t make the raven stop, actually he continued his pace along the road leaving the now pouting blond behind. Realizing that staring will do no good, Naruto finally started to move and made quick large steps towards Sasuke’s spot or the raven would have disappeared around a corner of the forest.
Finally arriving at three steps behind his friend, Naruto lowered his speed enough not to change the small distance between them.
“I said I was sorry.” He finally mumbled. ”For breaking your arm.” He added quickly.
He stared hopefully at his companion’s back to receive at least a word or a sign that the raven heard him or that he accepted the nth apology. But for his dismay, Sasuke continued to walk silently. Naruto lowered his head and covered his mouth with the scarf as another cold wind blew again sending shivers down the spine.
Idiot Sasuke, it was for your own good anyway. he sighed deeply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Acho!” suddenly echoed between the walls of the forest and Naruto snapped in surprise. Looking in front of him, he watched how Sasuke shook his head again and how he wiped the nose with his free right hand.
Only then, Naruto actually managed to notice that Sasuke was dressed lightly, no cap or scarf, and because of the arm, the jacket wasn’t even zipped fully. No wonder the other one sneezed.
Speeding up, Naruto reached beside the raven and looked at him worried.
“Hey, are you feeling cold?” he asked.
Both of them stopped and Sasuke twitched but kept himself from making any loud remarks on how stupid the blond could be. Of course he was cold, this freezing day with its damn weather and with its snow took care of that.
“Sometimes your intelligence never seizes to amaze me…” he stopped unable to continue as the next thing surprised him dearly.
He stood speechless as a soft fabric was being wrapped at his neck and a little over his mouth. Naruto chuckled and with the tip of his fingers, he combed the raven’s hair only to receive a deadly glare from him and soon he pulled his orange cap over Sasuke’s head.
Now the cold barely reached him and surprisingly he felt how he was getting warmer. Naruto smiled widely when he finished.
“Well… is it better now?” he laughed.
It was better, but Sasuke was skeptical because of something else.
“Hn. Then explain why we are tied up to each other now.” Sasuke said after lowering the tip of the scarf from his mouth and raised an eyebrow.
Naruto turned his gaze at the barely remaining material which was hanging in the air between them and continued to laugh again. To put it clearly, both of them were sharing the same scarf and both of them were wrapped with it.
“Since the scarf is big enough to cover both of us, I decided to share it.” He grinned.
“And you’re way too much closer now.” Sasuke pointed out. Both of them turned in the same time to look at the scarf then at each other.
“Ah… well that’s the second part of sharing a scarf. It gets smaller and eventually the distance is getting low too.” Naruto said amusingly serious.“Thought you’d realize that, teme.” Naruto shrugged and in the process he brushed against Sasuke’s right painful arm closing the distance (if it really was one since beginning) between them.
With that, silence fell upon them and left them to stare at each other.
“Dobe… you have 5 seconds to take off the scarf from around your neck.” The raven said annoyed that the ache returned into his arm. Naruto startled but eventually he pouted.
“Why? So you can have it? Naruto scowled. “The hell I am, it’s mine and I am cold too.”
“Dobe, I’m not going to walk around the village with you tied to my neck.” The raven glared angrily.
“Bare with it.” Naruto replied also with annoyance.
Oh yes, these kind of argues always took place with neither of them giving up or deciding to a truce.
Sasuke mentally twitched at the blonde’s stubbornness but gave a small smirk as something ‘great’ finally came to his mind. Taking a step forward towards the unknowing blond, he leaned until he reached a few centimeters away from the others face.
“Take it off.” He said, the smirk never leaving his lips.
Naruto, a little surprised by the sudden closeness, tried to lean backwards to move away from that awkward settlement. But with no use, as Sasuke always leaned forward to get in the old same position.
“Make me.” Naruto scowled, still not giving up after that blunt move of Sasuke. Now, he really shouldn’t have said that, because Sasuke always knew how to make people do like he pleased.
“Take it off or…” Sasuke’s smirk grew wider. “Or… I’ll kiss you.” He ended tauntingly.
Naruto’s cheeks flushed and his ears turned a little red after those spoken words.
“You-you wouldn’t just for a reason like that!” he replied back.
“Wouldn’t I?” Sasuke rose a questioning eyebrow.
Naruto gulped, well this didn’t turn like he expected to and also Sasuke would surely do such thing just for taking a scarf. Like kissing him right there and right at that moment.
They kissed before, but when angry, they would just ignore and keep themselves away from getting closer. Though every time it turned quite the opposite as neither could keep that distance for too long. But they weren’t the ones to admit it and they would stubbornly play their ‘upset’ act.
“Uh… Wa-wait! Here take it!” Naruto unraveled the scarf and tossed it to Sasuke and made a few extra steps behind just to make sure Sasuke wouldn’t try something. The other one chuckled and with his free hand, he wrapped fully the scarf around his neck. “Happy now?” Naruto scowled half still embarrassed.
“Not quite.” Sasuke said and before Naruto could do anything, the raven reached in a few quick steps really close to him.
Without a word or even a signal, Sasuke leaned forward finally closing the small distance and pressed his lips into Naruto’s, transforming it into a chaste kiss. A little struggle came from the blond but even with one arm, Sasuke sure had no problem in holding him in one place with just a grip around Naruto’s jacket.
“Serves you right, dobe.” Sasuke nibbled at the lower lip finally receiving permission to heat up the kiss.
Naruto tried to end it or to even make him stop but for his dismay, the raven didn’t even flinch, he just continued devouring his mouth leaving the poor demon container, almost breathless.
It felt quite good, he couldn’t deny that.
Though he hated that Sasuke always mocked him like this.
After a while, the kiss ended and Sasuke finally let go.
“You are such a bastard.” Naruto pouted while panting for air. Sasuke started to chuckle again. How he liked to play this kind of game of making fun of the dumb blond. But for him, Naruto always looked cute when he would be upset making him want to devour those pouting lips.
With a victorious smirk, Sasuke unraveled the scarf and wrapped around the blond’s neck like it was in the first place, tying them both to each other just to win a confused blue look from his lover.
“Think of it as this way…” he spoke and with a finally adjustment he left the scarf hang between them. “Now you have a guarantee that I won’t be leaving too soon away from you.” he let out a sigh but even Naruto could see the smile which Sasuke tried to hide.
“Yeah, I broke your arm for the same reason too, just so you’d know.” Naruto grinned satisfied when he saw the small annoyed glint in Sasuke’s eyes when he said those words. The raven made too much fun about him so he had to give him a taste of his own medicine in the end.
But even with that, his smile grew wider because… even if it wasn’t that noticeable, Sasuke actually did say something nice and even more… it was a promise.
An important one. And hell, Naruto will make it last long.
~~
“Let’s go.” Sasuke finally spoke and started to walk on the snow path towards the village. Naruto had to start walking too or he would get dragged, because moving around with a shared scarf did have its bad points. And not to mention that Sasuke was walking pretty too fast for an injured person.
“H-hey, slow down!” Naruto tried to say and he finally got next to the raven, even though it took him that long to do this.
“Tch. Such a dobe.” Came the annoyed reply.
Naruto wanted to reply with an equal insult but for his surprise, he actually couldn’t make one at that moment. He glanced at the serious face of the raven next to him which was actually hidden by the long bangs preventing him from actually making an eye-contact.
But he chuckled. He closed his eyes and then, full heartedly and warm, he chuckled out from his heart. And still laughing, Naruto tightened his grip around the hand which gripped his own from a moment ago. A smirk appeared too on the mentioned serious face from before and fingers entwined together with the gloved ones, never wanting to let go as their two figures made their way on that snowy road.
On that cold monotone day with freezing weather accompanied by blowing wind and falling snow, just hearing that warm, special laugh made him a little warmer than earlier before.
Heh. A guarantee to keep him from leaving?
It wasn’t the scarf from that day…there was something else from the whole beginning!
That warm laugh of the knucklehead blond which was next to him. It wrapped around him tighter than the soft fabric between them.
“Teme…” Naruto said and caressed the back of the pale hand with his thumb showing his strong affection for Sasuke.
In the end, it was a nice beautiful winter in the village of Konoha.
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