Of course there's a Valentine's Day one shot. Silly people. I am a sheep, I follow the crowd. SasuSakuNaru teaminess. Ahhh feel the team love.
Gifts
St Valentine's DaySakura fidgeted on the spot. It was cold today, snow had been threatening to fall for hours. She'd been looking everywhere for the boys but they seemed to be playing hide and seek.
Dressed in a short woolen dress with matching woolen stockings covered by a light coloured snow coat, Sakura was trying to keep warm by thinking angry thoughts about boys who weren't in their normal haunts. She'd even been around to Naruto's apartment, empty like the rest of Konoha. She had found a box of friendship chocolates out side of Naruto's apartment and using the spare key she'd put it inside. But that hadn't solved her problem.
In the end she'd tracked down Kakashi-sensei and after giving him his gift, had asked if he knew where the boys were. Kakashi-sensei had said they were probably training at the Uchiha compound as the normal training ground were still closed for repairs.
Sakura blushed under his faint reprimand. It was partly her fault if the main training grounds were currently being rebuilt. She'd challenged Naruto and Sasuke to a threeway battle that had them all pulling out the big moves. Between Naruto and herself things had been smashed up pretty good, and what hadn't been smashed had been burned fairly badly.
Still, she fumed, it's Valentine's Day why are they training?
Standing in front of the gate to the Uchiha Compound, Sakura wondered if maybe they'd forgotton it was even Valentine's Day at all. They were male, male's didn't attach as much importance to these things as females did. Sakura shifted the two tins she balanced on one gloved hand, suddenly shy.
Taking her courage in both hands she knocked on the main gate. As expected nothing happened.
I suppose the main gate is a little far from his house. Sakura reasoned leaping to the top of the wall.Using the grace that was instinctual to her she ran lightly through the snow until she saw the roof of Sasuke's house come into view. Pulling up short Sakura hoped she wasn't too red in the face. The house always made her sad, it was where Sasuke had found his dead parents, and seen his brother standing over their bloodied bodies. Why he'd chosen to move back there was beyond her. It didn't seem healthy, and worse, she feared it only forced him to relive painful memories.
Coming up to the front door she knocked timidly to no answer. She tucked her chin down onto the cold tins and thought. She didn't want to leave the gift on the doorstep. What if it snowed and he didn't see it? All that work for nothing. Feeling brave, she moved away from the door and leapt to the top of the wall surrounding the garden. Landing lightly on the other side she padded over to the porch. Sasuke didn't really bother to lock things when he was in Konoha so she figured she could leave it someplace obvious and slip out.
Following the porch to the main doors Sakura jogged around the corner, swinging one arm to increse her blood flow. Stopping suddenly Sakura blushed as Sasuke regarded her calmly from his sitting position. In front of him were three tea cups and steaming pot of tea.
"We were starting to think you'd never get here." He said, quietly pouring out a cup for her.
"Naruto's just finishing his shower. We tried to hold training but in the end the dobe got too impatient."
"What training?" Sakura asked, hugging the presents to her chest.
"I left a note with your mother about it yesterday." Sasuke said absently.
Slowly Sakura sank down to kneel on an empty cushion.
"Oh." Sakura said with a small smile. "My mother."
Messages about training often went astray if given to her mother. Tucking her cold feet under her, Sakura took the offered cup of tea.
"Shouldn't I be doing that?" Sakura asked timidly as Sasuke poured himself a cup of tea.
"You're my guest." Sasuke said, cutting off anymore offers.
"Oh." Sakura said stupidly.
Sakura sipped her tea as Sasuke sipped his. It was often awkard between them. She always managed to say the wrong thing and he always managed to hurt her feelings, so they usually ended up silent until Naruto appeared and they had a buffer between them.
"Are they for me?" Sasuke asked politely, indicating the two tins with his chin.
"Oh." Sakura said feeling silly as she stared at the two tins sitting beside her as if she'd never seen them before.
"Oh, well, one is." She said lamely.
She picked up the first tin and held it out.
Sasuke looked it, almost concealing the boredom in his eyes. He really didn't care for holiday's in general, they just reminded him of things he was trying to live without. But he took the tin politely casting a brief glance over the picture of ice-skating people painted on the front. It looked like a biscuit tin.
"They're not chocolates or sweet things." Sakura said hurriedly.
"Hn." Sasuke said, placing the tin down beside himself without further inspection.
Sakura ducked her head and sipped the hot tea. Mission one failed. She cast a glance toward the door hoping Naruto would come and break the icy silence that always fell between them.
Sasuke sipped his tea aware he'd done something wrong again. He sneaked a look at the door wishing the dobe would hurry up and remove the need for him to keep dancing around Sakura's sensitivity. Kakashi-sensei had often berated his inability to socialise with his female teammate, but Sasuke lacked the natural ease that Naruto had. Naruto often pissed Sakura off, but she just let Naruto have it, then things went back to normal. However whenever he brushed a sensitive spot she shut down and went all broody. Sasuke hadn't yet figured out a method to get things back to normal between them.
He finished the first cup of tea and Naruto still hadn't appeared. Seeing Sakura had finished her tea he offered her more which she gladly took if only to have something to do rather than try and talk with him. His mind skittered here and there trying to find a way to return her normal good humour before Naruto returned. His eyes fell on the tin and he wondered if the present was an appropriate topic of conversation.
"May I open it now?" Sasuke asked, without looking up.
Sakura looked up surprised, and nodded.
"If you'd like." She offered shyly.
Sasuke breathed out as a tiny smile appeared on her lips. She was worried he didn't like the present. That was easy, he could open it, look at it, tell her it was great, and then she would be happy. It was probably cookies, or something equally as useless.
He pryed open the tin and pushed aside and stiff white paper inside. His eyes widened.
Packed inside were packets of soldier pills, medicine balls, and herbs for countering small illness'. There was even a small glass jar of ointment for wounds. All in all, it was a small fortune in medicines.
"I made them myself." Sakura said, her face falling as Sasuke stared at them without speaking.
Sasuke said nothing as he touched the packets of soldier pills, themselves taking more than two months to make. He picked up a medicine ball and smelt the bitterness of it, he recognised the smell, but not the use. His eyes traced the careful handwriting on the herb packets reciting use, dosage, and frequency.
He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat and wondered if he was falling ill after training in the cold with Naruto then waiting outside for Sakura to turn up.
"Sorry, guess they weren't the right present." Sakura said hanging her head.
Realising he'd somehow hurt her feelings again, Sasuke quickly put the tin aside and opened his mouth to thank her.
Naruto appeared brusquely in the doorway. Ignoring the tension between his two teammates Naruto latched onto Sakura with a happy welcome, scooting his cushion as close as possible to her without actually sitting in her lap.
Roughly pushing Naruto upright as he threatened to crawl across her to get to the remaining present, Sakura surpressed a smile at her enthusiastic teammate.
Sasuke hid a grimace and a sigh of relief behind his tea cup. Naruto could so easily dispel the gloom that had hung around them, which was both relieving and annoying.
"I'm supposed to give it to you." Sakura said, exasperated to the point of laughing.
"Wahh! I love Valentine's Day!" Naruto said, clutching the tin.
"I bet it's chocolate! Lovely chocolate from the lovely Sakura-chan! And I bet mine's better than yours!" Naruto said, glaring pointedly at Sasuke.
Naruto was aware that the bastard had done someting to upset Sakura again. If there was one thing that really pissed him off, other than the bastard's 'greater than thou' attitude it was his 'ice queen' attitude with Sakura. Bastard could be nicer, she was only trying to be friendly. Hence the Naruto on sugar act. If Sakura was dissapointed because Bastard-Sasuke hadn't liked the present then he would just make up for it.
Naruto ripped off the lid and dug his hand into the paper. Feeling something round and slightly soft he pulled it out and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing with gusto. The acrid, woody flavour hit the back of his throat first.
"Eeeeergh." Naruto said, his face turning green.
Making a superhuman effort Naruto swallowed the bitter pulp in his mouth. Smiling weakly he placed the tin down beside himself.
Sakura hid a smile behind her hand.
"I'll save the rest for...a special occasion." Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke's proffered cup of tea.
"Dobe." Sasuke said softly but clearly.
Naruto was too busy gulping the tea to respond with more than a one handed signal.
"Naruto." Sakura said, her eyes glittering with laughter. "That was a medicine pill to improve your immune system."
"Oh." Naruto said, wishing he dared scrape his tongue to get rid of the taste.
"Give it here." Sakura commanded, hiding another smile as Naruto meekly complied.
"I'll explain what's in it, and I want you to promise that you'll use it properly, and that you'll use it." Sakura said holding a threatening fist over Naruto's head.
It was good that Naruto could occupy all her attention, Sasuke reflected as he listened to her explanations, noting them for future use. It left him safely on the sidelines.
Teasing Naruto, and explaining the various contents of the tin took up a good half hour, after which the tea was finished and the threat of snow had finally made good.
The sky was dark enough to be night and Sasuke took out his only latern preparing to walk them home.
Winter had been long and cold this year Sasuke reflected, as his two teammates chatted away amiably beside him. In the snow, neither Sakura nor Naruto kept track of the path they were taking, trusting to Sasuke's unfailing sense of direction to get them home.
So it was with surprise that Naruto found himself being dropped off first. Normally Sakura's house was closer than his own. Watching the two dissapearing shapes, Naruto wondered if Sasuke had really planned it, or if Sasuke's genuis was slipping. Both seemed as unlikely as the other. Shrugging Naruto turned and entered the apartment building, he wanted to look at his Valentine's present some more. Hugging it to his chest as if it were his Sakura-chan Naruto started whistling.
Trudging beside the newly quietened Sakura, Sasuke wondered if this was such a good idea.
Sakura wished she had something to do with her hands. She wished she had a casual conversation topic to bring up. What do you discuss with someone who had no social life, no hobbies, few friends, and even less interest in them? The weather?
"Wow, this snow is thick! Even you lost your way!" Sakura prattled out.
"Hn." Sasuke said at the thought that he'd lost his way.
Sakura winced at his cold response.
"I guess...nevermind." Sakura said giving up.
Sasuke almost sighed as he realised he'd done it again. But how were you supposed to respond to someone who'd just called your intelligence into question?
They both stayed silent, except for the sound of shoes against pavement and snow. Arriving in front of her house she stopped. Staring at the ground. Sakura noticed that Sasuke hadn't immediately left as he normally did.
"Well, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow. Give me a call with the time okay?" Sakura said, trying not to let the dissapointment of the day leak into her voice.
Sasuke shifted slightly, the snow was melting on his socks making his shoes and feet wet.
"Okay, well bye." Sakura said when he didn't reply.
She turned to go when Sasuke stepped closer behind her. Sakura froze as she realise that if she turned around, she would be literally milimetres from his face. The very thought held her rooted in place.
Feeling more comfortable when she wasn't looking at him, he took a deep breath in, preparing his thank you.
"SAKURA HARUNO!" Her mother yelled, spotting her daughter from a window.
"You've got chores young lady! And you're late!"
Jumping apart as if hot water had been splashed between them, Sakura mumbled a good bye and before Sasuke could react, slipped into her house.
Sasuke ground his teeth in frustration. Looking at the closed door, the lit windows, hearing the sounds of talking and moving, of family, coming from inside the house he felt his insides twist. So different from his own life, could a person such as her ever understand where he and Naruto came from?
Did it matter if she never really understood them, as long as she kept trying? As long as she kept reaching that hand out into the loneliness?
Sasuke stared up at Sakura's house for a long time imagining what her normal life was like. Sighing he stamped his frozen feet in vexation. Maybe Naruto would watch a TV movie with him. Suddenly he didn't feel like being alone this evening.
Looking back at Sakura's lit bedroom window, his forehead creased in frustration.
"Thank you." He said to her light.
It would have to do.
I think I'm finally getting a hang of Sasuke's character, whaddya know, practice does make perfect!